Hummingbird Species
Explore every North American hummingbird species — from the iconic Ruby-throated to the desert-dwelling Costa's. Click any card for full identification guides, range maps, and garden tips.
North America is home to more than a dozen regularly breeding hummingbird species, with the greatest diversity found in the American Southwest. Use the profiles below to identify species by plumage, range, and behavior — then visit our Garden Planner to attract them to your yard.
9 species
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the most common and widespread hummingbird in eastern North America. Males are distinguished by their brilliant iridescent ruby-red throat patch. These tiny birds make an incredible non-stop migration across the Gulf of Mexico — up to 500 miles in a single flight.
Anna's Hummingbird
Calypte anna
Anna's Hummingbird is a year-round resident of the Pacific Coast, making it the only hummingbird that doesn't migrate. Males display a brilliant rose-pink gorget that extends over the crown. They are known for their complex, buzzy songs — unusual among hummingbirds.
Rufous Hummingbird
Selasphorus rufus
The Rufous Hummingbird undertakes one of the longest migrations of any bird relative to body size — traveling up to 3,900 miles from Mexico to Alaska. Males are distinctive with their bright orange-red (rufous) plumage.
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Archilochus alexandri
The Black-chinned Hummingbird is one of the most adaptable hummingbirds in the West, found everywhere from desert to mountain forest. Males have a distinctive black chin with a purple-violet lower band that's only visible in good light.
Blue-throated Mountain-gem
Lampornis clemenciae
The largest hummingbird regularly found in the United States, the Blue-throated Mountain-gem dazzles with its brilliant sky-blue gorget. Found in high mountain canyons of southeastern Arizona, New Mexico, and the Chisos Mountains of Texas.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Selasphorus platycercus
The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is a high-altitude specialist, breeding in mountain meadows and pine forests up to 10,500 feet. Males produce a distinctive wing trill that's been compared to a cricket's chirp.
Calliope Hummingbird
Selasphorus calliope
The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest breeding bird in North America, yet it migrates more than 5,000 miles round-trip. Males sport a distinctive wine-red gorget with individual feathers that can flare out like whiskers.
Allen's Hummingbird
Selasphorus sasin
Nearly identical to the Rufous Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird breeds almost exclusively along a narrow strip of coastal California and Oregon. A subspecies in Southern California is non-migratory, while the northern population makes one of the earliest spring migrations.
Costa's Hummingbird
Calypte costae
The Costa's Hummingbird is a desert specialist, perfectly adapted to the dry scrublands of the American Southwest. Males have a spectacular violet-purple gorget with elongated side feathers that flare into a dramatic 'mustache.'
Identifying North American Hummingbirds
North American hummingbird species range from the tiny Calliope Hummingbird — the smallest breeding bird on the continent at just 2.3–3.4 g — to the relatively large Blue-throated Mountain-gem at up to 10 g. All belong to the family Trochilidae and share remarkable flight adaptations: rotating shoulder joints that allow true hovering, hearts that beat up to 1,260 times per minute, and metabolic rates that require feeding every 10–15 minutes.
Key hummingbird identification features include gorget (throat) color, crown color, bill length and curvature, tail shape, and the characteristic wing trill. Males are typically more brilliantly colored, while females require attention to subtle marks like buffy flanks, tail spots, and bill proportions.
Our species profiles provide everything you need for confident identification: high-resolution photos, color swatches, range information, seasonal occurrence data, and comparison tips for similar species. Paired with the Hummingbird Identifier tool, these profiles make it easy to put a name to any hummingbird visiting your garden.