Over 30 hummingbird species live in Canada, the United States, or Mexico for at least part of the year. We’ll take a look at 25 different kinds of hummers in North America, including those that may be found in the United States. In both the United States and Canada,
25 TYPES OF HUMMINGBIRDS IN NORTH AMERICA
Starting with one of the most well-known North American hummers, let’s take a quick look at each of these gorgeous species.
1. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Archilochus colubris
Winter: Southern and eastern Mexico, as well as the Yucatan Peninsula and Central America. In the United States, there are a small number of people. The Gulf Coast is one of the most popular beaches. From southern Quebec to south-central Alberta, summer is spent in the eastern United States and Canada.
The back of these hummingbirds is green, while the belly is white. While they may seem considerably darker in certain lighting, males have ruby red throat feathers. There is no marking of the throats of females, nor is there any streaking.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds seem to have adapted well to suburban settings, as they visit backyard feeders on a regular basis.
2. ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Calypte anna
Range: Pacific coast, southern Arizona, northwestern Mexico
Hummingbirds from Anna’s garden are permanent residents of the United States. They are most of the year found throughout their range, but prefer states along the west coast. Their feathers are speckled with emerald feathers, and their green is brighter and more iridescent than that of most others. Males have rosy-pink feathers on the crown and behind the eye, as well as on the neck.
They adore gardens and eucalyptus trees, and they are content in the backyard. In reality, exotic trees, plants, and flowers have been planted in gardens and recreational areas, which may have expanded their range. In the winter months, they may be found as far north as the Alaskan panhandle.
3. COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Calypte costae
Far southern California, Baja California (Mexico), and the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona and northern Mexico are all year-round destinations. Western Mexico’s winter migration. The spring months: Sonoran Desert, Nevada’s Spring Mountains, and Utah’s Spring Mountains.
The deep purple face of a male Costa’s hummingbird is well-known. Purple feathers protrude out on both sides of their head and down their throat, giving them a purple moustache. The back of females is green, the head and cheek are pale grayish, and the underparts are pale.
Males with face feathers expanded out like purple fingers dance in front of females performing unique courting displays, such as diving and rocking. Hummingbirds are more retiring than other species, but they may be drawn to backyard feeders if the food is offered.
4. RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Selasphorus rufus
Winter: Coastal southern California, the Gulf coast, and south-central Mexico. From Washington to British Columbia, and from Idaho to Alaska in the spring
Rufous hummers breed as far north as Alaska, which is the farthest north of any other hummingbird species. In reality, a nearly 4,000-mile round trip is made by those who winter in Mexico and then go to Alaska. The rufous hummingbird is one of the most widely distributed.
Rufous hummingbirds are little birds that are known for their aggression. They will chase away not only other hummingbirds, but also bigger birds, in order to protect their food sources! Males have an orange-red throat and a white patch on the upper breast. They are orange all over. Green with rusty patches and a speckled throat, females are what you see.
5. BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Archilochus alexandri
Coastal southern Texas, particularly the Rio Grande Valley, from south central Mexico throughout the year. Winter: Southern Pacific coast of Mexico, United States, year-round range South-central Mexico through the United States, Gulf Coast Spring: From southwest to Idaho, here’s the way.
Each year, black-chinned hummingbirds travel from Mexico and Central America to the western United States to breed. In most light, males have a little strip of purple feathers along the bottom of their throats, which appears to be black.
Females have a plainly throat and appear green above and light below, like other hummingbird females. They like to perch on bare branches and are found in a variety of habitats, from deserts to mountain woods.
6. BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Amazilia yucatanensis
Some migrate north to the United States, while others live on the Yucatan peninsula and eastern Mexico. Throughout the winter, the Gulf Coast is calm.
The red beak, blue-green throat feathers, and a pale buffy coloured belly are all distinguishing characteristics of the buff-bellied hummingbird. The tail feathers of these birds are likewise coated in rusty brown, which is difficult to discern when they spread them out. Unlike most Americans, he does not own a gun. The plumage of both sexes is indistinguishable in all species.
In comparison to most hummers in the United States, the buff-bellied hummingbird is bigger. In food resources, they will tend to dominate smaller species. When loudly vocalizing, they have been observed chasing away smaller hummingbirds.
7. ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Selasphorus sasin
Winter: Central Mexico, spring: Pacific coast, from southern Oregon to southern California. Los Angeles and the Channel Islands are year-round destinations.
The rufous hummingbird and Allen’s hummingbird both have similar coloring. Allen’s males have an orange back and orangey-red throat. The throat of females is speckled, and their flanks are brownish-orange. In comparison to other hummingbirds, Allen’s migrate to California in January, albeit quite early. This allows them to head south sooner, sometimes as early as May or June.
8. BLUE-THROATED MOUNTAIN GEM
Scientific name: Lampornis clemenciae
Small breeding populations can be found in Mexico’s Southwestern states, including southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and western Texas.
The biggest hummingbird species in the United States is the blue-throated mountain gem. They may weigh up to three times as much as a ruby-throated hummingbird, in reality. Two white stripes on the face, a green back, and a gray breast distinguish both sexes. A bright blue stripe runs down the neck of males.
They mostly only visit the United States. However, if they discover a particularly good feeding station during the breeding season, they may remain in winter. They prefer to live in shaded canyon streams.
9. BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Cynanthus latirostris
Western and southern Mexico, as well as southern Arizona and New Mexico, are all part of the range.
In the United States, there are just two states: Arizona and New Mexico are two states where the broad-billed hummingbird breeds. With their indigo neck and blueish-green belly, males are difficult to mistake. They also have a black tip to their orange beak. With the typical black beak, females are a washed-out green on top and grayish on the bottom.
The male will fly back and forth in a shallow arch, akin to a swinging pendulum or pocket watch, while courting a female.
10. CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Selasphorus calliope
Summer: southeast British Columbia, along the southwest border of Alberta, parts of California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Utah
The calliope hummingbird migrates north to the Pacific Northwest and parts of western Canada to breed during the winter, spending most of its time along Mexico’s southwestern coast. The calliope is the smallest bird in the United States, so this is an impressively long migration!
Males have a distinct magenta striping on their throats that fork down on each side. The throat of females is plain, with a peachy tinge to the underparts.
11. BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Selasphorus platycerus
Winter: Throughout Mexico and northern Central America. Summer in the United States varies by season. Idaho, California, and Wyoming are all to the southwest.
Hummingbirds with broad tails breed at elevations up to 10,500 feet in the highlands. Broad-tailed hummingbirds are known to enter torpor while they sleep, a deeper hibernation-like state that conserves energy. Temperatures can drop quite low at these high elevations overnight.
The throats of males are a rosey-magenta color. The throats and cheeks of females are speckled with green, and the sides are buffy. Short-term visitors to the United States include broad-tailed hummingbirds. Look for them between May and August in meadows and wooded areas.
12. MEXICAN VIOLETEAR
Scientific name: Colibri thalassinus
Range: southern Mexico and northern Central America
These hummingbirds, also known as the Green violetear, have been seen in many eastern states, primarily Texas. They are not believed to breed in the United States. They have a vivid green body, black wings, and a patch of iridescent blueish-purple on their cheek and chest. These are bigger hummingbirds. Females are smaller and lighter than males.
They don’t stay around for long after drinking from feeders, and spend most of their time looking for bugs.
13. RIVOLI’S HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Eugenes fulgens
Throughout Mexico and Central America, it is year-round. Several cross the border into the United States. In southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, breeding may be done.
The magnificent hummingbird used to be named after the Rivoli’s hummingbird. The head of a male is purple, while the neck is teal. They often appear overall dark unless the sunlight catches their colors just right. Females have a green top and a grayish-white bottom, whereas males do not. Behind the eye, both sexes have white.
With a longer bill and slender body, they are bigger than the majority of hummingbirds seen in the United States. It lacks the same dominance over other hummers at flowers and feeding stations as some other bigger hummingbirds.
They prefer to live in shady canyons and wooded areas, and are mostly found in Mexico. Only Arizona and New Mexico attract Rivoli’s, although they do stray into other states from time to time.
14. VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Leucolia violiceps
Some may just barely cross the border into Arizona and range year-round along Mexico’s western coast.
This little treasure is native to Mexico and has been known to migrate into the United States in the southern part. The back is dark gray, while the breast, belly, and neck are all white. Males and femen have an orange beak with a black tip and a purple cap on their heads.
Middle altitudes and canyons lined with sycamore trees are favored habitats for these hummingbirds.
15. BERYLLINE HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Saucerottia beryllina
Western and southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador are the home of this species.
With a completely green head and breast, brown back, cinnamon streaks on the wings, and underparts that are either light or buffy, the berylline hummingbird has extremely woodsy colors. Just a few sightings of these Mexican hummingbirds in the United States have been reported. Guadalupe Canyon in Texas (Big Bend National Park), Arizona, and New Mexico.
16. LUCIFER HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Calothorax lucifer
Some extend into the United States from Mexico’s central plateau. Big Bend National Park in west Texas, as well as southern Arizona and New Mexico.
The throat of the male lucifer hummingbird is magenta-purple, with a flared out extension down over their upper chest. Females have a cinnamon patch on the upper tail feathers and are green above and pale below with cinnamon on their sides. A long bill with a curving downward curve and a long forked tail are also characteristic of these birds. As a result, they have a unique appearance when compared to other US cars. Hummingbirds have been seen visiting. Canyons and scrub with agave and cactus are their preferred habitat.
17. BAHAMA WOODSTAR
Scientific name: Nesophlox evelynae
Range: Throughout the Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands
Green on the back, buffy sides, and orange along the tail margins make the Bahama woodstar a tiny hummingbird. The throat of males is purple, and it frequently appears black. Hummingbirds may be found in gardens, wooded and scrubby environments, and forest borders.
They live in the Bahamas year-round and do not migrate with the seasons. However, it is not a common sight, and just a few have been reported along Florida’s southeastern coast.
18. WHITE-EARED HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Basilinna leucotis
From western and southern Mexico to Nicaragua, this species has a wide range.
The white-eared hummingbird prefers clearings and edges of coniferous forests at higher elevations in Mexico and Central America. Throughout the summer, they may sometimes wander over the border into southern Arizona to eat backyard feeders.
A black head with a broad white stripe behind the eye, a green body, and black wings are found on both females and males. The beak of a male is orange, with a black tip, while that of a female is mostly dark. Males have a blueish-green neck and cheeks, which may appear black at times.
19. PLAIN-CAPPED STARTHROAT
Scientific name: Heliomaster constantii
From western Mexico and Central America to Panama, there are dry forests.
The bigger hummingbird with a noticeably long beak is the plain-capped starthroat. The black stripe through the eye and the white patch on the rump are other good identifying features. With throats that seem black, but are actually dark red feathers, males and femen are similar. A white stripe runs down either side of their thin neck patch.
The plain-capped starthroat has a insect-rich diet, with little nectar from flowers and seldom visits nectar feeders. Between June and October, they are vagrants in southeastern Arizona, although sightings are still uncommon.
20. XANTU’S HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Basilinna xantusii
The southern half of Baja California’s peninsula is home to this species.
The white-eared hummingbird, like the Xantu’s hummingbird, is a close relative. The Gulf of California, however, separates them, and only the Baja Peninsula is home to the Xantu. Only the Xantu has hues of cinnamon and rusty brown in its underparts and tail, while they share the same eye stripe, green body, and beak coloring.
A local tree, the Baja madrone, and Xantu have a mutually beneficial relationship. The hummingbird serves as the tree’s primary pollinator, while the tree provides nectar in late winter and early spring when few other flowers are blooming. In southern California, Xantu’s are occasionally seen.
21. GREEN-BREASTED MANGO
Scientific name: Anthracothorax prevostii
Mexico’s eastern coast, the Yucatan peninsula, Central America and coastal Venezuela are all part of the range.
The high canopy hummingbird is larger and bulkier. Males and females have distinct characteristics. Males have an emerald-green body that is golden in hue. Their tail feathers are purple on the top and rusty red on the bottom, with a variety of colors in between. When the light is properly adjusted, the throat appears black. Females have a green body with a white throat, chest, and belly, which is bordered on the middle by a long black vertical stripe. A white tip distinguishes their rusty tail feathers.
22. BUMBLEBEE HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Selasphorus heloisa
Range: Mexico (humid mountain forests)
The tiny size of this hummingbird, comparable to that of a bumble bee, is its name! Green upper parts, a small black beak, and a rusty, black-and-white striped tail characterize these hummingbirds. Males have pink-magenta throat feathers that are somewhat extended and sharp, as well as a little buffy wash on their sides. Females feature a light throat with occasional speckling and, on occasion, a pink feather or two. They have deep rufous coloring on their flanks.
Their sluggish and steady flight resembles that of a big bee, and they feed on flowers with shorter tubes.
23. AZURE-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Saucerottia cyanocephala
Range: eastern Mexico, Central America to Nicaragua
These hummingbirds aren’t particularly colorful, despite their name. With a brownish-green back and sides, white throat and chest, and a blueish head, males and femen look identical. Their black heads may appear dark, yet their turquoise blue crowns blend to a deeper blue at the rear of the head, which is visible in bright light.
These hummingbirds have not been extensively investigated, although they have been seen congregating in large numbers around blossoming trees.
24. CINNAMON HUMMINGBIRD
Scientific name: Amazilia rutila
Range: western Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, Central America
Dry tropical lowlands, such as wooded edges and gardens, are home to this medium-sized hummingbird. Their tail and underparts are a warm cinnamon brown, so you can see where they get their name. They have a red beak with a black tip and are covered in grassy green.
When it comes to protecting their nectar sources, both sexes have the same coloring and are known to be aggressive and territorial. They’re infrequently seen in Arizona or New Mexico, just across the border.
25. CANIVET’S EMERALD
Scientific name: Cynanthus canivetii
Range: eastern coast of Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, Central America
The answer is yes if you’ve been wondering if there’s an all-green hummingbird. The emerald of the male Canivet is entirely covered in iridescent green and bears a crimson beak. A green back, a white face with a black eye-stripe, and a pale neck, chest, and belly distinguish females from males. They have not yet been spotted traveling north of Mexico.