Birdwatching for hummingbirds in Georgia (or anywhere on the east coast) is perfect if you’re constantly looking for uncommon birds. The state’s only two regularly occurring hummingbird species are found here, and the other nine have only come on rare occasions. The remaining nine have never come to the state before.
Locating all of the hummingbirds on this list may be difficult, but here you can find more kinds of hummingbirds than in other parts of the country due to the diversity of plants. Keep reading this list we’ve compiled to help you identify even the rarest of visitors in order to discover all the probable species of hummingbirds that may be found in Georgia.
ARE THERE HUMMINGBIRDS IN GEORGIA?
Hummingbirds may be seen all throughout Georgia, in a variety of colors. There are a variety of hummingbirds that have been observed in the peach state, despite the fact that they do not all exist year-round or even on a regular basis.
The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird and the Rufous Hummingbirds are the two most common species of hummingbirds in Georgia. Allen’s Hummingbirds, Green-breasted Mangos, Rivoli’s Hummingbirds, Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Broad-billed Hummingbirds, Calliope Hum hummingbungs, and Buff-Bellied H hummingbungs are some of the rare and sporadic hummmbanguns.
THE SPECIES OF HUMMINGBIRDS IN GEORGIA
1. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
Due to the fact that they are the only hummingbird species that breeds on this side of the country, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are likely the most well-known. Little hummingbirds with gleaming emerald-green feathers that sparkle in the light are covered in them. The bright red patch on the male’s throat earned him his name.
Wooded areas such as meadows, open woodlands, clearings, forest borders, and gardens are home to these hummingbirds. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are recognized for their fondness of nectar-rich blooms and visiting feeders and yards. If you’d want some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds to check out your garden, try planting these flowers and plants there. They’re also good for gardens, as they aid pollinate while drinking nectar, which is an added benefit.
Hummingbirds have a distinctive trademark of flying at a accelerated pace. When Ruby-throated Hummingbirds hover in place, their wings might be whacked 50 times per second, and you may hear a faint hum if you listen carefully. They can easily fly upside down because to the accuracy with which they control their wings, allowing them to smoothly move up, down, and from side to side in order to get the best angle for drinking nectar.
2. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD
The only other hummingbird species that visits Georgia on a regular basis is Rufous Hummingbirds. Rufous Hummingbirds, on the other hand, are only found in Georgia and Florida throughout the winter, unlike the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which migrates to Georgia and the eastern United States throughout breeding season. The northwestern United States and Canada are their breeding habitat otherwise.
Forest borders, shrubby borders, meadows, yards, and parks are all open places where they dwell. They may be found up to 12,600 feet in height in highland meadows during migration, but this is unusual. Rufous Hummingbirds, like other hummingbird species, will favour tubular blooms laden with nectar and will seek out backyard feeding stations and gardens.
Rufous Hummingbirds are well-known for their gleaming, “rufous” feathers, which are a lustrous copper penny color. Females have green uppers with some rufous coloring on their tail and sides, and occasionally on the neck, in contrast to males who have vibrant colors. Rufous Hummingbirds have a color scheme that is practically identical to Allen’s Hummingbirds, making differentiation in the field extremely difficult.
RARE AND OCCASIONAL HUMMINGBIRDS IN GEORGIA
1. ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD
Rufous Hummingbirds and Allen’s Hummingbirds are close relatives with a lot of similarities. Male Allen’s Hummingbirds have a green back, which is the most obvious difference between these two species. Rufous Hummingbirds may, however, demonstrate this trait as well, thus it is occasionally deceptive.
In Georgia, though, Allen’s Hummingbirds are less common. They prefer semi-open environments such as open woodlands, shrubby regions, parks and gardens, according to ebird.org, and their major range is along the western coasts of California and southern Oregon.
2. GREEN-BREASTED MANGO
Just on rare occasions throughout the years has Green-breasted Mangos been spotted in Georgia. They are most commonly found in the American tropics, and their northern range only extends to northeastern Mexico on rare occasions.
Green-breasted Mangos, which resemble Mexican Violetears in appearance, are hummers of considerable size. Their bills are long, and their whole body is greenish with dark blue dots on the neck.
3. RIVOLI’S HUMMINGBIRD
Another large species of hummingbird is Rivoli’s Hummingbirds. When the sun hits males just right, their green throats and purple foreheads sparkle, and their dark heads appear almost black in low light. Their wings are brownish, with the remainder of their bodies covered in green plumage. Females are duller in color and lack the head coloration.
During the winter, these hummingbirds will migrate north to Arizona and New Mexico’s mountainous woods, where they may be found. Georgians only encounter them on a sporadic basis, and their visits are erratic.
4. BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
In the western United States and Mexico, black-chinned Hummingbirds are plentiful and ubiquitous. At lower elevations, they favor arid areas and a variety of habitats. They’re also likely to feed in the suburbs and backyards. They have been sighted in the state of Georgia many times, despite not being a normal part of their range.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have a similar shape to these hummingbirds. The upper parts of males are gray-green, while their bellies are light gray and their heads are dark with iridescent purple throats. The uppers of females are bright green, with white bellies.
5. ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD
Anna’s Hummingbirds are stocky birds with huge heads and bodies. They are rather big birds. Their bodies are mostly green, with gray patches and bellies strewn about. The males’ head is a vivid, iridescent purple-pink. The metallic, buzzy sound of Anna’s Hummingbirds calls tends to be quite loud.
These hummingbirds are most often seen year-round on the west coast, where they congregate. They prefer semi-open environments such as woodlands, groves, parks, and gardens, but they may be found in a variety of habitats. They’ve been seen in Georgia and other places along the southeast coast on extremely rare occasions.
6. BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD
Broad-tailed Hummingbirds may be found breeding in highland environments such as meadows and woods. They’re most often found in Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, as well as other Western states. In Georgia, just a few observations have been made, mostly on the state’s western outskirts.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have similar coloring to these hummingbirds. Males have an iridescent, red throat and are mostly green in color throughout their uppers. Females are comparable to males in plumage, although they are less bright. In the highlands where they congregate, their loud trills are a common occurrence.
7. BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD
Broad-billed Hummingbirds are widespread in Mexico and parts of the southwestern United States, but they’re scarce elsewhere. At higher altitudes, they favor semi-open woodlands and the banks of streams. They’re a seldom-visited sight in Georgia, and they’ve only been spotted on rare occasions.
The overall coloration of male broad-billed hummingbirds is bright green and blue, with crimson beaks. Females lack the variety of color found in other birds, with a generally drab, gray-brown appearance that includes a white ring around their eyes.
8. CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD
Even for hummingbird standards, Calliope Hummingbirds are tiny. They weigh just one-tenth of an ounce and are the tiniest hummingbirds in North America. In comparison to the majority of hummingbird species, their tails and bills are somewhat shorter. The uppers and underparts of males are green, while their bellies and sides are pale. Rufous Hummingbirds and females have a lot in common.
They migrate northwest in the spring and south to Mexico in the winter, and they are mostly found in the western part of the country. Rare Calliope Hummingbirds have been recorded in western Georgia, and far-traveling birds may end up far east of their range.
9. BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD
From Mexico’s east coast to Central America, Buff-bellied Hummingbirds may be found. These birds are often sighted on the southern coasts of Texas and Louisiana throughout the winter. In Georgia and Florida, rare sightings of Buff-bellied Hummingbirds have been reported.
These are average-sized hummingbirds. Their bills are crimson, their tails are green, and their heads are iridescent. Although their bellies have a buff coloration, it isn’t as apparent as their name suggests. One of the few hummingbird species where males and females have comparable looks is Buff-bellied Hummingbirds.
HUMMINGBIRD MIGRATION IN GEORGIA
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds start their northern journey in the spring. The eastern part of the nation is home to these Hummingbird species, which breeds during the spring and summer. They return to Mexico and parts of Central America during the autumn in the same extended migratory pattern.
During the breeding season, Rufous Hummingbirds may be found in the northern United States, but by late June, they have moved southeast. They’re mostly seen during the winter in Georgia. Rufous Hummingbirds are the most likely to go beyond their range, when compared to other hummingbird species.
HOW TO MAKE HUMMINGBIRD NECTAR
Sugar and water are the only two ingredients needed to make your own hummingbird nectar.
INGREDIENTS:
1 A cup of refined sugar (white table sugar only)
4 cups of water
DIRECTIONS:
- To help the sugar dissolve more readily, heat your water. Use the hottest tap water your faucet can produce, or microwave the water for a minute and then heat it in a saucepan. Caffeine is poisonous to birds, so don’t use a coffee maker to heat water.
- In a clean container, combine the sugar and water. Slowly add the sugar to the water with a large spoon.
- Allow the solution to cool after all of the sugar has been completely dissolved. It is now ready to be loaded into the feeder once it has cooled.
- For up to one week, store extra sugar water in the fridge. Refilling the feeder will be quick and simple if you store extra nectar.