4 Hummingbirds Found in West Virginia: (Pictures and Sounds)
This article identifies and describes West Virginia hummingbirds, where in West Virginia they are seen, and whether they are year-round, seasonal, or rare vagrant residents.
Which species of West Virginia hummingbirds are found in the state?
Ruby-throated, Rufous, Black-chinned, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 4 species documented as seen in West Virginia listed in order of frequency seen.
Sighting Maps:
These 4 species of hummingbirds are documented as being seen in West Virginia by sighting maps, listed in the order of frequently seen:
- Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)
- Rufous (Selasphorus rufus)
- Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri)
- Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus)
These 4 hummingbirds species found in West Virginia are further classified into three groups:
Year-round residents, Seasonal, and Rare/Vagrant visitors.
| Hummingbird: | Seasonal |
| Ruby-throated | Rare/Vagrant |
| Rufous | Rare/Vagrant |
| Black-chinned | Rare/Vagrant |
| Mexican Violetear | Rare/Vagrant |
For more information on West Virginia hummingbirds:
Read my article:
Hummingbird Migration in West Virginia
Read on to find out more about each of these hummingbird species as well as where and when they can be found in West Virginia.
Year-Round West Virginia Hummingbirds:
There are no hummingbirds classified as year-round residents in West Virginia.
This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds that are year-round residents residing in West Virginia 365 days a year and do not migrate.
Some hummingbirds that are too old or injured to migrate are seen in West Virginia during winter, but most migrate south for the winter.
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 West Virginia Hummingbirds:
The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only classified seasonal West Virginia hummingbird.
Hummingbirds that fit within this category are those that temporality pass through West 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 West 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 and a seasonal visitor to West Virginia.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only bird that breed and nest in West Virginia.
See the current sighting map of Ruby-throated hummingbirds in West Virginia.
For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Photo by: Rekha Pawar
Rare/Vagrant West Virginia Hummingbirds:
Rufous, Black-chinned, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 3 West Virginia hummingbirds classified as rare or vagrant listed in order of frequency 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 West 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 rare/vagrant visitor to West Virginia and are seen mainly in the Western United States.
They are the second most commonly seen hummingbird in West 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 West Virginia.
For more pictures and information on Rufous hummingbirds.
Photo by: Jace Walker
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 an extremely rare/accidental visitor to West Virginia.
See the current sighting map of the Black-chinned hummingbird in West Virginia.
For more pictures and information on Black-chinned hummingbirds.
Photo by: sony_alpha_male
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.
They are an extremely rare/accidental visitor to West Virginia.
See the current sighting map of Mexican Violetear hummingbirds in West Virginia.
For more pictures and information on Mexican Violetear hummingbirds.
Photo by: Ernesto Perez
Is West Virginia attractive to hummingbirds?
West Virginia’s combination of subtropical climate, geography and predominantly forested and agricultural land use makes West Virginia a good choice for some hummingbirds, especially the Ruby-throated hummingbird, the species of hummingbirds that dominate the West Virginia landscape.
West Virginia sports a subtropical climate, warm and humid much of the year, and mountainous topical geography ranging from 1,500 feet above sea level to 4,863 feet above sea level atop Spruce Knob.
According to USDA, 78% of West Virginia’s 15.3 million acres is forest.
Another 20% of West Virginia’s land is dedicated to agriculture.
Hummingbirds play an important part of West Virginia’s agriculture.
Hummingbirds are the second most important pollinator, only exceeded in importance to the honeybee.
On average, West 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 West Virginia are June, July, and August, all with daytime high temperatures of 80, 83, 82 degrees Fahrenheit respectively, however, West Virginia’s all-time high was set in 1936 at 112 degrees Fahrenheit.
See my article:
How to Cool Hummingbird Nectar in Hot Weather
Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions
Happy Hummingbird Watching!
