9 Hummingbirds Found in Utah: (Pictures and Sounds)

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

What types of hummingbirds are found in Utah?

Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, Rufous, Anna’s, Calliope, Costa’s, Broad-billed, Ruby-throated, and Rivoli’s hummingbirds are the 9 species documented as seen in Utah listed in order of frequently seen.

Sighting Maps:

These 9 species of hummingbirds are documented as being seen in Maryland by sighting maps, listed in the order of frequently seen:

• Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri)
• Broad-tailed (Selasphorus platycercus)
• Rufous (Selasphorus rufus)
• Anna’s (Calypte anna)
• Calliope (Selasphorus calliope)
• Costa’s (Calypte costae)
• Broad-billed (Cynanthus latirostris)
• Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)
• Rivoli’s (Eugenes fulgens)

Even though sighting maps do not show any current sightings of the Blue-throated Mountain-gem or Allen’s hummingbirds in Utah, top-ranking Google sites include these two hummingbirds as Utah hummingbirds.

These 9 hummingbirds species found in Utah are further classified into three groups:
Year-round residents, Seasonal, and Rare/Vagrant visitors.

Hummingbird:	Year-Round, Seasonal, Rare/Vagrant
Black-chinned	Seasonal
Broad-tailed	Seasonal
Rufous	Seasonal
Anna’s	Year-Round
Calliope	Seasonal
Costa’s	Year-Round
Broad-billed	Rare/Vagrant
Ruby-throated	Rare/Vagrant
Rivoli’s	Rare/Vagrant

According to the United States Department of Agriculture in Utah (USDA), the Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds are seen and live in the southern areas of Utah year-round, even though they are not the first or second most commonly seen hummingbird in Utah.

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

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

Year-Round Utah Hummingbirds

According to the United States Department of Agriculture in Utah (USDA), the Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds can be found in the southern areas of Utah year-round, even though they are not the first or second most commonly seen hummingbird in Utah.

This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds that are year-round residents residing in Utah 365 days a year.

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

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

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 seen from Alaska and southern Canada to Washington, Oregon, California, Baja, and into the southwestern regions of Arizona and neighboring states.
They are primarily found on the west coast of North America.

The United States Department of Agriculture in Utah (USDA), states the Anna’s hummingbird can be found in the southern areas of Utah year-round.

Some Utah hummingbird admirers leave hummingbird feeders up all winter long to provide life-nourishing nectar for year-round resident: the Anna’s hummingbird.
See my article:
11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

According to a breeding map on ebird.org, Anna’s hummingbirds breed and nest Utah.

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

For more pictures and information on Anna’s hummingbirds.

COSTA’S HUMMINGBIRD – (Calypte costae)

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

The Costa’s hummingbird resides in the Western United States, Mexico and as far south as Guatemala during the winter.

The United States Department of Agriculture in Utah (USDA), states the Costa’s hummingbird can be found in the southern areas of Utah year-round.

According to a breeding map on ebird.org, Costa’s hummingbirds breed and nest Utah.

See the current sighting map of Costa’s hummingbirds in Utah.

For more pictures and information on Costa’s hummingbirds.

Seasonal Utah Hummingbirds

The Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, Rufous, and Calliope hummingbirds are the 4 classified seasonal Utah hummingbirds listed in order of frequently seen.

Hummingbirds that fit within this category are those that migrate through Maryland on a spring or fall migration basis.

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 Utah.

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 the most commonly seen hummingbird in Utah during spring, summer, and fall.

According to a breeding map on ebird.org, Black-chinned hummingbirds breed and nest Utah.

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

Note: Photo taken in Utah County, Utah

BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD – (Selsaphoris platycercus)

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

The Broad-tailed hummingbird is primarily found in the mountainous regions of western North America and migrates south to winter in Mexico and Guatemala.

They are the second most commonly seen hummingbird in Utah, behind the Black-chinned hummingbird.

According to a breeding map on ebird.org, Broad-tailed hummingbirds breed and nest Utah.

See the current sighting map of Broad-tailed hummingbirds in Utah.

For more pictures and information on Broad-tailed hummingbirds.

Note: Photo taken in Springville, Utah

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 breed in the north from southern Alaska and most travel all the way south to winter in Mexico.
They are a seasonal hummingbird to Utah.

See the current sighting map of Rufous hummingbirds in Utah.

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 and are a seasonal hummingbird to Utah.

The breeding range of Calliope hummingbirds include the mountainous regions of western North America, primarily in the Rocky Mountains, the Cascades, and the Sierra Nevada.

According to a breeding map on ebird.org, Calliope hummingbirds breed and nest Utah (although rare).

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

For more pictures and information on Calliope hummingbirds.

Rare/Vagrant Utah Hummingbirds

The Broad-billed, Ruby-throated, and Rivoli’s hummingbirds are the 3 Utah hummingbirds classified as rare or vagrant hummingbirds in order of frequently seen.

This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds residing in a group outside of their normal geographic range.

Not only do these species of hummingbirds have a wide variety of specific geographic ranges, but they are also known to sometimes interbreed with each other creating hybrids.

Read on to find out more about each of these hummingbird species in Utah.

BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD –
(Cynanthus latirostris)

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

Broad-billed hummingbirds are a Mexican species and a rare visitor to Utah. They do travel frequently to the United States near the southern Mexican border, however, most of their population stays year-round in Mexico and Central America.

See the current sighting map of Broad-billed hummingbirds in Utah.

For more pictures and information on Broad-billed hummingbirds.

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 accidental vagrants to Utah.

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

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated 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 to Utah.

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

For more pictures and information on Rivoli’s hummingbirds.

Is Utah Attractive to Hummingbirds?

Utah attracts hummingbirds because of its semi-arid to desert climate and its diversity in elevation from 2,180 feet above sea level at Beaver Dam Wash to 13,534 feet above sea level at King’s Peak.
Forests covers 26.6% of the state and agricultural land covers 19.8% of the state. The average rainfall annually is 17.3 inches.

Utah’s year-round hummingbirds, the Anna’s and Costa’s, do not migrate out of state, but they do migrate vertically up and down elevations, migrating to their preferred temperature.

On average, Utah’s daytime temperatures are above freezing all 8 months of the year.
The night-time temperatures drop below freezing in November, December, January, and February to Fahrenheit temperatures of 30 degrees, 22 degrees, 21 degrees, and 25 degrees respectively.

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 Utah are June, July, and August, all with daytime high temperatures of 82, 90, and 88, degrees Fahrenheit respectively.

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

Hummingbirds play an important part of Utah’s agriculture.
Hummingbirds are the second most important pollinator, only exceeded in importance by the honeybee.

Utah’s agriculture consists of grain crops such as wheat, barley, and corn; vegetable crops such as onions, potatoes, and dry beans; and fruit crops of apples, cherries, and peaches.

See my article:
Hummingbird Migration in Utah

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions

Happy Hummingbird Watching!