10 Hummingbirds Found in Virginia: (Pictures and Sounds)

This article identifies and describes Virginia hummingbirds, where in Virginia they are seen, and whether they are year-round, seasonal, or rare vagrant residents.

Which species of Virginia hummingbirds are found in the state?

Ruby-throated, Rufous, Calliope, Anna’s, Black-chinned, Allen’s, Buff-bellied, Violet-crowned, Mexican Violetear, and Rivoli’s hummingbirds are the 10 species documented as seen in Virginia listed in order of frequency seen.

Sighting Maps:

These 10 species of hummingbirds are documented as being seen in Virginia by sighting maps, listed in the order of frequently seen:

• Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)
• Rufous (Selasphorus rufus)
• Calliope (Selasphorus calliope)
• Anna’s (Calypte anna)
• Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri)
• Allen’s (Selasphorus sasin)
• Buff-bellied (Amazilia yucatanensis)
• Violet-crowned (Ramosomyia violiceps)
• Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus)
• Rivoli’s (Eugenes fulgens)

These 10 hummingbirds species found in Virginia are further classified into three groups:
Year-round residents, Seasonal, and Rare/Vagrant visitors.

Hummingbird:	Year-Round, Seasonal, Rare/Vagrant
Ruby-throated	Seasonal
Rufous	Rare/Vagrant
Calliope	Rare/Vagrant
Anna’s	Rare/Vagrant
Black-chinned	Rare/Vagrant
Allen’s	Rare/Vagrant
Buff-bellied	Rare/Vagrant
Violet-crowned	Rare/Vagrant
Mexican Violetear	Rare/Vagrant
Rivoli’s	Rare/Vagrant

For more information on Virginia hummingbirds:
Read my article:
Hummingbird Migration in Virginia

Read on to find out more about each of these hummingbird species as well as where and when they can be found in Virginia.

Year-Round Virginia Hummingbirds:

There are no hummingbirds classified as year-round residents in Virginia.
This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds that are year-round residents residing in Virginia 365 days a year and do not migrate.

Some rare Rufous hummingbirds are seen in Virginia during winter, but most migrate south for the winter.
Other hummingbirds that are too old or injured to migrate can also overwinter.

Contrary to popular belief, hummingbirds can withstand far lower temperatures than most people would expect.

Some banded hummingbirds have been observed at temperatures as low as -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to eBird.org.

See my article:
3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

Seasonal Virginia Hummingbirds:

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only classified seasonal Virginia hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds that fit within this category are those that temporality pass through Virginia as part of their migratory pattern during spring and fall migration.

Hummingbirds move south to spend the winter in Mexico and Central America in the fall, after migrating north in the spring to reproduce.

Due to their preference, an ailment, or advanced age, certain seasonal hummingbirds may spend the whole winter in the state.

Read on to find out more about each of these hummingbird species as well as where and when they can be found in Virginia.

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD – (Archilochus colubris)

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Archilochus
Species: A. colubris

Ruby-throated hummingbirds main residence is mostly in the Midwest and on the east coast of the United States, therefore they are most commonly seen in Virginia.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only bird that breed and nest in Virginia.
From Late April to early August is the breeding season for Ruby-throated hummingbirds to nest and raise their young.

See the current sighting map of Ruby-throated hummingbirds in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Note: The Male Ruby-throated hummingbird is drinking from a Black & Blue Salvia perennial plant.

Rare/Vagrant Hummingbirds in Virginia:

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD – (Selasphorus rufus)

Conservation Status: Near threatened
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Selasphorus
Species: S. rufous

Rufous hummingbirds are located in western North America and are a migrating species.
They are a vagrant visitor to Virginia as they are seen mainly in the Western United States.

Some Rufous hummingbirds are seen in Virginia during winter, but most migrate south for the winter.

They are the second most commonly seen hummingbird in Virginia, behind the Ruby-throated hummingbird, even though there is a vast difference in sighting numbers between the two species.

See the current sighting map of Rufous hummingbirds in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Rufous hummingbirds.

CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD – (Selasphorus calliope)

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Selasphorus
Species: S. calliope

Calliope hummingbirds are located in western North America and are a migrating species.
Most travel all the way south to winter in Mexico making them rare/vagrants to Virginia.

See the current sighting map of the Calliope hummingbird in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Calliope hummingbirds.

ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD – (Calypte anna) 

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Calypte
Species: C. anna

The Anna’s hummingbirds are primarily found on the west coast of North America and are extremely rare/vagrants to Virginia.

See the current sighting map of Anna’s hummingbirds in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Anna’s hummingbirds.

BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD – (Archilochus alexandri)

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Archilochus
Species: A. alexandri

The Black-chinned hummingbird is a migratory bird that breeds as far north as Canada, the western United States, and as south as Mexico, they are extremely rare/vagrant visitors to Virginia.

See the current sighting map of the Black-chinned hummingbird in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Black-chinned hummingbirds.

ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD – (Selasphorus sasin)

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Selasphorus
Species: S. sasin

Allen’s hummingbirds commonly reside and nest along the West Coast of the United States and winter in Mexico, making them extremely rare to Virginia.

See the current sighting map of Allen’s hummingbirds in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Allen’s hummingbirds.

BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD – (Amazilia yucatanensis)

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Amazilia
Species: A. yucatanensis

Buff-bellied hummingbirds are primarily found in Mexico and Central America.
They are an extremely rare/vagrant hummingbird to Virginia.

See the current sighting map of Buff-bellied hummingbirds in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Buff-bellied hummingbirds.

VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD – (Amazilia voliceps)

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Amazilia
Species: A. voliceps

The Violet-crowned hummingbird lives primarily in Mexico and parts of Central America, extending into parts of Guatemala and Honduras.
They are extremely rare to Virginia.

See the current sighting map of Violet-crowned hummingbirds in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Violet-crowned hummingbirds.

MEXICAN VIOLETEAR
(aka GREEN VIOLETEAR) HUMMINGBIRD – (Colibri thalassinus)  

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Colibri
Species: C. thalassinus

The Mexican Violetear (Violet-ear) or the Green-Violetear hummingbird are usually found in Mexico, Central America, and northern South America making them an extremely rare/accidental visitor to Virginia.

See the current sighting map of Mexican Violetear hummingbirds in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Mexican Violetear hummingbirds.

RIVOLI’S HUMMINGBIRD aka MAGNIFICENT – (Eugenes fulgens)

Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Eugenes
Species: E. fulgens

The Rivoli’s hummingbird (pronounced: rivo-lee), previously known as the Magnificent hummingbird, primarily inhabits mountainous regions of the southwestern United States (southern Arizona and New Mexico) through Mexico and all the way down to Nicaragua in Central America.

They are extremely rare in Virginia.

See the current sighting map of Rivoli’s hummingbirds in Virginia.

For more pictures and information on Rivoli’s hummingbirds.

Keep your eyes peeled and observe and enjoy the multiple types of hummingbirds found in Virginia!

Is Virginia attractive to hummingbirds?

Virginia attracts hummingbirds because of its subtropical climate, its diversity in elevation from 10 feet above sea level to over 5,000 feet, forests that cover 62% of the state, agricultural land covering 28% of the state, and rainfall annually of more than 40 inches.

Virginia sports a subtropical climate, warm and humid much of the year, and mountainous topical geography ranging from 10 feet above sea level up to 5,729 feet above sea level.

On average, Virginia daytime temperatures are above freezing all 12 months of the year.
Only December, January, and February drop below freezing at night with the lowest night-time average being 22 degrees Fahrenheit in January.

See my article:
Should I keep My Hummingbird Feeders Out During the Winter

See my article:
11 DIY Ways To Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

The hottest months of the year in Virginia are June, July, and August, all with the average daytime high temperatures of 82, 86, 84 degrees Fahrenheit respectively, however, Virginia’s all-time high was set in 1954 at 110 degrees Fahrenheit

See my article:
How to Cool Hummingbird Nectar in Hot Weather

According to Virginia Natural Resources Educational Guide, 62% of Virginia’s 27.09 million acres is forest.

Another 29% of Virginia land is dedicated to agriculture.

Hummingbirds play an important part in Virginia agriculture.
Hummingbirds are the second most important pollinator, only exceeded in importance by the honeybee.

This combination of climate and land use makes Virginia a good choice for some hummingbirds, especially the Ruby-throated hummingbird, the species of hummingbirds that dominate the West Virginia landscape.

See my article:
Hummingbird Migration in Virginia

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions