Hummingbird Species

Allen's Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Berylline Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Blue-throated Hummingbird
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Costa's Hummingbird
Lucifer Hummingbird
Magnificent Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Violet-crowned Hummingbird
White-eared Hummingbird
Xantus' Hummingbird

Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)
Physical Description
Average weight: male 3.13 g, female 3.24 g. Resident birds are slightly larger than those that migrate.

Plumage
Adult male: Metallic bronze-green head and back, iridescent coppery-red gorget (throat), rufous flanks. Smaller than the female.
Adult female: Rufous back and sides, white breast, white throat with some red spots, rounded tail with white outer tips. Larger than the male. Extremely difficult to differentiate from female Rufous.
Juveniles: Young of both sexes look like the adult female.

Distribution
Observed in Arizona, coastal California and Channel Islands, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts (Nantucket), Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vancouver Island, B.C. Some birds migrate between Baja and coastal California, while others are year-round California residents.

Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)
Anna's is the most common hummingbird in southern California, and one of only three species that are permanent residents of the US or Canada (Allen's and Costa's are the others). Unlike most other hummers, Anna's has a (minimal) song.

Physical Description
Average weight: male 4.31 g, female 4.07 g. The Anna's is the largest hummingbird seen on the west coast.

Plumage
Adult male: Metallic green back, dark rose-red crown and gorget, grayish breast.
Adult female: Green back, grayish-white breast, white throat with some red spots, white tips on outer tail feathers.
Juveniles: Young of both sexes look like the adult female, but may have unmarked throats.

Distribution
Observed in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and British Columbia (resident on Vancouver Island).

Berylline Hummingbird (Amazilia beryllina)
Some sources list the Berylline as an accidental species, since its members apparently do not breed regularly in the US.

Physical Description
Average weight: male 4.87 g, female 4.37 g.

Plumage
Adult male: Emerald green all over, with purple on the rump and on some wing and tail feathers. The gorget is brighter green than the back.
Adult female: Similar to the male.

Distribution
Observed (rarely) in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeast Arizona, and in New Mexico. Winters in Mexico.

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
Physical Description
Average weight: male 3.09 g, female 3.42 g. The female is larger than the male.

Plumage
Adult male: Metallic green back, crown, and breast (one photo shows a grayish breast); black gorget with purple throat band, white collar. The least colorful of US hummers.
Adult female: Green back and crown, white breast, white throat with some black spots, buff sides, white tips on outer tail feathers.

Distribution
Observed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan.

Blue-throated Hummingbird (Lampornis clemenciae)
Physical Description
Average weight: male 8.4 g, female 6.8 g. This is a large hummingbird.

Plumage
Adult male: Green back and crown, dark gray breast, bright blue gorget, dark blue tail with white outer tips. Thin white stripes above and below the eyes.
Adult female: Green back and crown, gray breast, white tips on outer tail feathers. Thin white stripes above and below the eyes.

Distribution
Observed in Arizona, California, Colorado, Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. Winters in Mexico.

Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris)
Physical Description
Average weight: male 3.72 g, female 3.4 g.

Plumage
Adult male: Dark green back, crown, and breast, bright metallic blue gorget, bright red-orange bill with black tip.
Adult female: Green back and crown, unmarked gray throat and breast, red-orange bill, white tips on outer tail feathers.

Distribution
Observed in Arizona, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Ontario. Winters in Mexico.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)
The male Broad-tailed's wings make a cricket-like whistle in flight. One female Broad-tailed holds the North American age record, at twelve years old.

Physical Description
Average weight: male 3.16 g, female 3.6 g. Females are larger than males.

Plumage
Adult male: Metallic green back and crown, white breast, rose gorget, rounded tail.
Adult female: Green back and crown, white throat and breast with black spots, rusty sides, green central tail feathers; outer tail feathers are rusty at base, black in middle, and white at tips.

Distribution
Observed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Winters in Mexico.

Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis)
Although still a minor U.S. breeding species, the Buff-bellied appears to be expanding into the coastal states as Mexican habitat is lost to agriculture. Buff-bellied nests are built in low bushes, usually less than five feet off the ground.

Physical Description
Average weight: male 4.05 g, female 3.67 g.

Plumage
Adult male: Metallic green back, crown, and throat; rusty sides, belly, and tail feathers; white eye ring.
Adult female: Almost identical to male.

Distribution
Observed in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Winters in eastern coastal Mexico.

Calliope Hummingbird (Stellula calliope)
The Calliope prefers high mountains, and has been seen as high as 11,000 feet. It builds its nests over creeks or over roads next to streams or lakes, usually repairing the previous year's nest or constructing a new one atop the old. This bird usually forages within five feet of the ground.

Physical Description
Average weight: male 2.5 g, female 2.83 g. Female birds are larger than males.

Plumage
Adult male: Metallic green back and crown, white gorget with purple rays that may be erected to show a "whiskered" effect.
Adult female: Green back and crown, white throat with dark streaks, buff sides, white-tipped tail corners.

Distribution
Observed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. Winters in west-central Mexico.

Costa's Hummingbird (Calypte costae)
Physical Description
Average weight: male 3.05 g, female 3.22 g. Female birds are larger than males.

Plumage
Adult male: Metallic green back, violet-purple crown and gorget with very long side throat feathers, green breast.
Adult female: Green back and crown, white breast, white throat with some black spots, buff sides, white tips on outer tail feathers.

Distribution
Observed in Alaska, Arizona, California, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and British Columbia. Winters in SE California, SW Arizona, NW Sonora, and Baja. Costa's don't migrate very long distances, and can be among the first migrant birds to arrive in the spring.

Lucifer Hummingbird (Calothorax lucifer)
Physical Description
Average weight: male 2.75 g, female 3.08 g. Female birds are larger than males.

Plumage
Adult male: Metallic green back and crown, magenta gorget, white breast, buff sides, long decurved (downward-curving) bill.
Adult female: Green back and crown, white breast and throat, buff sides, white tips on outer tail feathers, decurved bill.

Distribution
Observed in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters central Mexico.

Magnificent Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens)
Physical Description
Average weight: male 7.7 g, female 6.4 g. Second-largest US hummingbird (next to Blue-throated).

Plumage
Adult male: Dark green back, purple forehead and crown, metallic green gorget, black breast.
Adult female: Olive green back and crown, gray breast and throat with faint streaking, pearl-gray tips on outer tail feathers.

Distribution
Observed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. Winters in Mexico.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is by far the most common species that breeds in the eastern half of North America, although most states have sporadic Rufous sightings, and Bob and Martha Sargent have banded eight other hummingbird species as winter visitors to five southeastern states. Ruby-throats are intensely inquisitive and thus easily attracted to feeders, where males in particular typically display aggressive territoriality toward rival hummers, other birds, and even insects such as bees, butterflies, and sphinx moths. They quickly become accustomed to human presence, and will swoop down to investigate red articles of clothing, possibly as potential food sources. Feeders hung at windows attract as many visitors as ones farther from structures, and the bird that claims a feeder as its territory may spend much of the day perched nearby, guarding the food source against intruders. Many hummingbird watchers find "Hummer Warz" endlessly entertaining, although the chases are obviously serious business to the hungry birds. For a short period immediately after fledging, a female will tolerate the presence of her own young at the feeder, but they are soon treated the same as other adult birds - as rivals in pursuit of the food necessary to prepare for the fall migration.

Courtship is apparently very brief, if it exists at all, and once mated the female raises the young alone. The walnut-sized nest, built by the female, is constructed on a foundation of bud scales attached to a tree limb with spider silk; lichens camouflage the outside, and the inside is lined with dandelion, cattail, or thistle down. The nest will stretch to contain the growing nestlings, and may sometimes be reused (rebuilt) the following year.

Two white, pea-sized eggs are laid two or three days apart, which the female will incubate from 60 to 80 percent of the day for 12-16 days. Reports of the duration of the nestling phase vary from 14 to 31 days, the wide range possibly varying with the availability of food; 18-23 days is normal. when they leave the nest, the chicks are considerably larger than their mothers: they may weigh 4.5 grams, while poor Mom is down to only 2.5 g after the stress of raising them. Since the mother starts incubating the first egg as soon as it's laid, that chick will hatch and fledge earlier than its sibling; it will remain close to the nest until the other chick is ready to fly. After leaving the nest, fledglings are fed by their mother for about 10 days. It is thought that Ruby-throats live as long as 12 years, but the average is probably 3-5 years.

Physical Description
Average length: 3.5 inches (8.9 cm)
Average weight: 1/8 ounce (3.1 g)
Body temperature: 105°-108°F (40.5°-42.2°C)
Wing beats: 40-80 per second, average about 52
Respiration: 250 per minute
Heart rate: 250 beats/min resting; 1200 beats/min feeding
Flight speed: 30 mph (48 kph) normal; 50 mph (80 kph) escape; 63 mph (101 kph) dive

Plumage
Adult male: Emerald green back, iridescent ruby red gorget (throat) that may appear black under some lighting conditions, gray flanks, forked tail with no white. Smaller than the female.
Adult female: Emerald green back, white breast and throat, rounded tail with white tips. Larger than the male, with longer bill.
Juveniles: Young of both sexes look like the adult female. In August and September, young males may develop some red spots in the gorget.
Molts: One complete molt per year, which may start during the fall migration and continue into March. Young males acquire full ruby gorgets during their first molt.

Gender identification is simple if the light is right: the brilliant red gorget of the male is unmistakable. More commonly, though, the shape and presence of white on the tail is a more reliable field mark.

Distribution and Migration
Ruby-throats breed throughout eastern to midwestern North America, from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Most winter in Mexico, Central America, and on Caribbean islands, although a few remain in the Gulf states and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Most researchers accept a remarkable non-stop crossing of the Gulf, taking 18-20 hours. They arrive at the coast in late February or early March, and follow the development of spring flowers northward. Males migrate earlier than females, in both directions; some adult males start south as early as July. By mid-November the fall migration is essentially completed throughout North America.

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
Often described as "feisty," the Rufous may have the ideal size-to-weight ratio among North American hummingbirds. This bird outflies all other species, and usually gets its way at feeders at the expense of slower, less-maneuverable hummers. The Rufous has the longest migration route of all US hummingbirds.

Physical Description
Average weight: male 3.22 g, female 3.41 g. Females are larger than males.

Plumage
Adult male: Non-iridescent rufous crown, tail, and sides; back may be rufous, green , or some of each; bright orange-red gorget, white breast. Green-backed Rufous cannot be reliably separated from Allen's in the field without extensive experience and a good view of the spread tailfeathers through a scope.
Adult female: Green back and crown, white breast, streaked throat, rufous sides and base of tail feathers, white tips on outer tail feathers. Very similar to female Allen's and Broad-tailed.

Distribution
Observed in every state and province except Hawaii, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec. There was even one very unusual report from extreme eastern Siberia! The Rufous is the most widely-distributed hummingbird in North America. Winters in Mexico and possibly Panama.

Violet-crowned Hummingbird (Amazilia violiceps)
Physical Description
Average weight: male 5.78 g, female 5.19 g.

Plumage
Adult male: Emerald green back, violet-blue crown, unmarked white breast and throat, red bill with dark tip.
Adult female: Almost identical to male, but crown is slightly less brilliant.

Distribution
Observed in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters in Mexico.

White-eared Hummingbird (Hylocharis leucotis)
These are birds of high tropical mountains, and are rare breeders in the US.

Physical Description
Average weight: male 3.6 g, female 3.2 g.

Plumage
Adult male: Emerald green back and breast, purple crown, iridescent blue-green chin, prominent white ear stripe, red bill with black tip.
Adult female: Green back and crown, white breast and sides with green streaks, prominent white ear stripe, red bill with black tip.

Distribution
Observed in Arizona, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas. Winters in mountains of Mexico.

Xantus' Hummingbird (Hylocharis xantusii)
The Xantus' is a Mexican hummingbird, normally found only in Baja California, but a nest was found in southern California (no chicks fledged). In November 1997 one bird was observed in British Columbia.