- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Rufous Hummingbird
- Black-chinned Hummingbird
- Calliope Hummingbird
- Allen’s Hummingbird
- Anna’s Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are prevalent in the summer, and they normally arrive in the spring at the beginning of April. The males normally arrive one or two weeks before the females.
Fall migration takes place between September and mid-October. However, some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been spending the winter around the coast of North Carolina
The male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have an iridescent red throat and a vivid green back and crown with a gray-white underbelly.
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have brownish crowns and sides and are green on the back and white underside.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only hummingbird that breeds in eastern North America, after which it migrates to Central America.
Some move across the Gulf of Mexico, while others migrate around the coast of Texas.
They begin arriving in the deep south in February and may not reach northern states and Canada for breeding until May. In August and September, they travel south.
These little birds fly from one nectar source to another, catching insects in mid-flight or from spider webs.
They come to a halt on a little twig now and again, but their legs are so short that they can only shuffle along with a perch.
In the summer, the ideal areas to look for are flowering gardens or woodland margins.
Male In their protection of flowers and feeders, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds may be violent. They don’t stay around long after mating, and by early August, they may have moved away.
Ruby-throated females form nests consisting of thistle or dandelion down tied together with spider silk on narrow trees. They deposit 1-3 tiny eggs.
Rufous Hummingbird
Although Rufous Hummingbirds are not widespread in North Carolina, a few do migrate here in the winter, giving you even another incentive to keep your hummingbird feeders out.
Male Rufous Hummingbirds have an iridescent red throat with a vivid orange back and belly and a white patch beneath the throat. Females have greenish-brown back, creamy bellies, and are rusty on the sides.
Rufous hummingbirds are one of the world’s longest-distance migrators, covering up to 4000 miles each trip.
They breed in northwest Alaska and migrate south for the winter to Mexico and the Gulf Coast.
In the spring, they migrate north along the Pacific Coast, then in the late summer and fall, they move north via the Rocky Mountains.
The nectar from colorful tubular flowers, as well as insects such as gnats, midges, and flies, are the main sources of food for Rufous Hummingbirds.
They use spider webs and soft plants down to strengthen their nests. They lay a clutch of 2-3 small white eggs.
During migration, they are hostile and chase away any other hummingbirds that emerge, including bigger hummingbirds and resident hummingbirds.
They don’t stay around for long during migration and will chase away most other hummingbirds if given the chance. They reside in alpine meadows in the summer and woodlands and forests in the winter.
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Hummingbirds with black cheeks have a dull metallic green back and grayish-white underbelly.
Females have a light neck and white tips on their tail feathers, while males have a black throat with a thin iridescent purple foundation.
In the winter, Black-chinned Hummingbirds move to western Mexico and the Gulf Coast, where they breed primarily inland.
They devour nectar, tiny insects, and spiders, and when feeding on nectar, their tongues may lick 13-17 times per second.
Black-chinned Hummingbird nests are built of plant down and spider silk and they lay two white small eggs.
Black-chinned Hummingbirds are frequently spotted perching on tiny bare branches at the tops of dead trees, and they frequently return to a favorite perch.
They can be found in the Southwest amid canyons and rivers, or on the Gulf Coast under shade oaks.
Black-chinned Hummingbirds are uncommon in North Carolina, however, a few have arrived from the Gulf Coast during the winter.
Calliope Hummingbird
Despite being a summer and winter hummingbird of western states, Calliope Hummingbirds have been spending more time in winter on the Gulf Coast, with some even making it as far north as North Carolina.
The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the United States, but it manages to travel over 5000 miles each year, from Mexico to Canada and back.
They also outshine their counterparts when it comes to guarding their turf and even chasing Red-tailed Hawks.
Male Calliope Hummingbirds have a black tail, brilliant magenta throats, and shiny green backs and sides.
Females don’t have the iridescent throats that males do, and their underbelly is pinkish-white rather than white.
The spring migration to the Rocky Mountains takes place along the Pacific Coast, including breeding grounds in California, Colorado, and up into the northwest states and Canada.
They begin their journey early, arriving in mid-April to early May. Between mid-July and mid-September, Calliope Hummingbirds can be spotted more regularly.
They normally make their nests on evergreen trees, and they may reuse or build on top of an existing one. The Rocky Mountains are used for fall migration to wintering sites in southwestern Mexico.
Allen’s Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbirds are difficult to distinguish from Rufous Hummingbirds in the small region of coastal woodland and scrub that runs between California and Oregon.
Allen’s Hummingbirds have iridescent reddish-orange throats, orange bellies, tails, and eye patches, and orange bellies, tails, and eye patches on males.
Males and females both have long, straight bills and coppery green backs, but females lack the brilliant throat color.
Allen’s and Rufous Hummingbirds vary in that Allen’s has narrower outer tail feathers than Rufous. They have up to three broods every year and construct nests at no fixed height along shaded streams.
Allen’s Hummingbirds spend the winter in Mexico and move up the Pacific Coast of California and Oregon as early as January. Some have remained in central Mexico and the Los Angeles area.
The Allen’s Hummingbird is a rare species of hummingbird that has only been seen a few times in North Carolina.
Anna’s Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbirds are little birds with a green and grey color scheme. The female’s neck is grey with traces of red spotting, while the male’s head and throat are iridescent reddish pink.
Anna’s Hummingbirds are the most abundant hummingbird throughout the Pacific Coast, despite the fact that they do not migrate.
During courting, the males ascend up to 130 feet in the air before falling back to the earth with a blast of noise from their tail feathers.
They may be found in a variety of habitats, including backyards and parks with huge colorful flowers and nectar feeders, as well as scrub and savannah.
Anna’s Hummingbirds build their nests in trees between 6 and 20 feet high, and they usually have two broods every year.
Anna’s Hummingbirds are an uncommon hummingbird species in North Carolina, having only been seen a few times.
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