5 Hummingbirds Found in West Virginia: (Pictures and Sounds)

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What types of hummingbirds are found in West Virginia?

There are 5 species of hummingbirds found in West Virginia:

• Black-chinned
• Broad-tailed
• Mexican Violetear (AKA Green Violetear)
• Ruby-throated
• Rufous

These 5 hummingbird species found in West Virginia are further categorized into 3 groups: (Year-Round/Residents), (Seasonal), (Rare/Vagrant).

Year-Round/Native Hummingbirds

There are no year-round hummingbird species residing in West Virginia 365 days a year. However, the Ruby-throated hummingbird has been seen in West Virginia as late as the month of January.

Hummingbirds are much more tolerant of cold weather than most people would expect, especially the Ruby-throated and the Rufous hummingbirds, the two most common hummingbirds seen in West Virginia.

According to eBird.org, some banded hummingbirds have been documented in temperatures of -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -36 degrees Fahrenheit.

Seasonal Hummingbirds

This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds that temporarily pass through West Virginia as part of their migratory pattern during spring and fall migration.
Hummingbirds travel north to breed during spring migration and travel south during fall migration to winter in Mexico and Central America.

Some seasonal hummingbirds may remain in West Virginia for the entire winter by choice, injury, or old age.

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 dominate Eastern North America and are the most commonly seen in West Virginia. On average, out of 10,000 hummingbirds, West Virginians will see 9,932 Ruby-throated hummingbirds.
See: West Virginia Ruby-throated sightings map

The Ruby-throated hummingbird does not live in West Virginia year-round. However, they have been seen and documented in West Virginia as late in the winter season as January.

The Ruby-throated hummingbird’s scientific name originated from Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, who first listed this scientific classification as “Trochilus colubris”. Its name changed over a hundred years later and was reclassified by Ludwig Reichenbach, a German botanist, to “Archilochus colubris”, which is its current scientific name, meaning “top thief” or “sky spirit/sun-god bird”.

Male Ruby-throated hummingbirds have a striking iridescent blood-red gorget, stopping at the neckline. He is identified with a dull metallic green topside, a light gray underbelly, and black wings. The Ruby-throated hummingbird is a smaller species of hummingbirds weighing less than 4.5 grams or 2 U.S. dimes and is 2.8 to 3.3 inches in length. Their lifespan is approximately 3-5 years. 

Female Ruby-throated hummingbirds have a white throat with some light stippling and are typically larger than the males. The oldest female Ruby-throated hummingbird has been recorded at 9 years, almost double that of the male. 

However, the average lifespan of a Ruby-throated hummingbird is approximately 3-5 years.

Note: The flower that this female Ruby-throated hummingbird is drinking from is called Salvia – ‘Rhea Blue’

The only hummingbird that breeds and nests in West Virginia is the Ruby-throated hummingbird; all other hummingbirds seen in West Virginia are just passing through to their nesting destination.
See: Ruby-throated breeding map

Juvenile male and female Ruby-throated hummingbirds during their initial stages of life resemble their mother exhibiting a white throat with light stippling. 

As the males mature, they begin to display a few specks of color near their neckline and eventually their bolder red throat feathers become more dominant and stately displaying a colorful gorget. 

Note: His throat feathers are slowly coming in, displaying a few dots of color near his neckline and showing the first stages of adolescence. 

Note: This juvenile Ruby-throated hummingbird is struggling with a bee or wasp situation at the feeder.
See my article: Bees On My Hummingbird Feeder: (9 Tips To Get Rid of Them)

Note: The newly white fluffy down feathers on this baby/juvenile Ruby-throated hummingbird’s bottom. 

Also, notice the nice fat reserves they have accumulated by being fed by their diligent mother which will sustain them through adolescence.

There are two migration routes for the Ruby-throated hummingbird during the spring and fall migrations. 

The first migration route is a direct but exhausting nonstop journey southwest over the Gulf of Mexico to Mexico and then down to Central America for the winter.  The flight distance over the Gulf of Mexico is over 500 miles. Although this is the direct “short” route, there are numerous obstacles faced by these birds.

Some obstacles include not being able to rest, having no means to refuel or eat, and having to avoid the dangerous tropical Atlantic hurricanes while flying to their destination. To make matters worse, depending on how you look at it, they migrate during the dark hours of the night or are taking the “Red-eye flight”.

Researchers believe their small size makes the energy expenditure of their grueling trans-oceanic migration pattern more taxing for males than for females even though they both double their body’s fat prior to making the migration across the Gulf of Mexico.

The second migration route is over 2,000 miles, flying along the coastline outlining the Gulf of Mexico. Although this is the “long” route, it allows the opportunity to rest and refuel even though there are fewer food source guarantees along the way.

Scientists are unclear and continue to investigate why one group of birds would prefer to take one route over the other.
See my article: Hummingbird Migration in West Virginia

Hummingbirds are much more tolerant of cold temperatures than most people realize.

According to eBird.org, through branding practices in Wisconsin, the Ruby-throated and Rufous hummingbirds have been documented surviving in temperatures of -9F and wind chills of -36F.
See my article: 3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

Some West Virginian hummingbird admirers leave hummingbird feeders up all winter long to provide life-nourishing nectar to the most commonly seen residents: the Ruby-throated and Rufous hummingbirds.

This selfless act also provides nectar to other migrating species unable to migrate because of injury or old age.
See my article: 11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

Ruby-throated hummingbirds prefer open woodlands and are often seen in parks, gardens, and backyards. They are solitary birds except during mating periods when they are fiercely territorial and aggressive towards hummingbirds of other species. 

Even though these hummingbirds have an aggressive side they can still be eaten by predators such as large invertebrates, praying mantises, orb-weaver spiders, and dragonflies.
See my article: 10 Common Things That Kill Hummingbirds

During a capture and release banding operation in West Virginia, the oldest living recorded female Ruby-throated hummingbird was 9 years and 1 month old.
See my article: 3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

See pictures: Male, female, and juvenile Ruby-throated hummingbirds
Hear sounds: Ruby-throated hummingbirds

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 migratory birds and the second most commonly seen hummingbird in West Virginia. On average, out of 10,000 hummingbirds, West Virginians will see only 60 Rufous hummingbirds.
See: West Virginia Rufous sighting map

It is amazing to realize in comparing the top 2 commonly seen hummingbirds species in West Virginia out of 10,000 hummingbird sightings, 9,932 will be Ruby-throated while only 60 will be Rufous hummingbirds.

The Rufous hummingbird gets its name from the Latin word rubrum meaning “red” which is used to describe its reddish-brown coloring. 

Male Rufous hummingbirds display an iridescent orange-red gorget with rusty-colored flanks and tail. They have a white to beige underbelly and a black bill. Males can also have green plumage with specks of green color on their rustic-looking backs or on the crown of their head along with chocolate brown dorsal feathers. Their size is 2.8 inches to 3.5 inches in length and weighs 3.2 grams.

Note: The iridescent orange-red gorget.

Note: The gorget appears chocolate brown in this lighting, however, you can still see a glimmer of his iridescent orange-red gorget with some hints of yellow.

Juvenile male Rufous hummingbirds have a rustic look with small iridescent orange specks of color on their throats.

Juvenile Rufous hummingbirds are so similar in coloring and temperament to Allen’s hummingbirds that they are practically indistinguishable in the field. Therefore, identification is established by range rather than appearance.

Note: His throat feathers are slowly coming in, displaying a few dots of color near his neckline and showing the first stages of adolescence.

Note: Preening flight feathers is an important daily routine to maintain hygiene and to keep the feathers flexible, strong, in alignment, and parasite-free.

Female Rufous hummingbirds are green and white with some iridescent orange feathers on their throat. Their tail is dark with white tips and an orange-red base. Female Rufous hummingbirds are slightly larger than the males in anticipation of producing offspring.

They have one of the northernmost breeding ranges of any hummingbird in the world; migrating north from Mexico and nesting as far north as Alaska to breed during the summer months. 

They are polygamous and will mate with several partners in a season.

See my article: Hummingbird Parents: (Mating to Nesting)
See my article: Baby Hummingbirds: (Egg to Fledgling)

Rufous hummingbirds make the longest migration of any bird in the world. They travel making a clockwise circuit of western America every year that is approximately 3,900 miles.

This migratory pattern during the seasons coordinates their arrival perfectly while catching nectar and blooming flowers throughout the year, fueling their bodies for their long journey.

Most Rufous hummingbirds will not spend the winter in West Virginia and will decide to migrate south to Mexico. However, hummingbirds are much more tolerant of cold temperatures than most people realize.

According to eBird.org, through branding practices in Wisconsin, the Rufous and Ruby-throated hummingbirds have been documented surviving in temperatures of -9F and wind chills of -36F.
See my article: 3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

Some West Virginian hummingbird admirers leave hummingbird feeders up all winter long to provide life-nourishing nectar to the most commonly seen residents the Rufous and Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

This selfless act also provides nectar to other migrating species unable to migrate because of injury or old age.
See my article: 11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

Rufous hummingbirds are highly territorial and aggressive towards other hummingbirds and animals. They are fearless and have a reputation for being feisty and chasing away not only other hummingbirds but even large birds and rodents from their favorite feeders. 

The female mothers have been known to even attack squirrels and chipmunks that come too close to their nests.

Rufous hummingbirds have excellent memories and have been known to investigate the location of an old hummingbird feeder years after the feeder has been removed.

Their flying acrobatic skills can outmaneuver all other hummingbird species, making them extremely competitive at feeders.

Hummingbird enthusiasts are extremely valuable when they plant flowering plants to attract hummingbirds and provide feeders with homemade hummingbird nectar to contribute to a successful migration. These welcoming habitats provide and ensure safe travels as well as a reliable sanctuary for rest and refueling during their journey.

During a capture and release banding operation in British Columbia, the oldest living recorded female Rufous hummingbird was 8 years and 11 months.
See my article: 3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

Due to habitat loss in the Pacific Northwest, Rufous hummingbirds are listed at “near threatened” status by the IUCN red list of threatened species.

See pictures: Male, female, and juvenile Rufous hummingbirds
Hear sounds: Rufous hummingbirds

Rare/Vagrant Hummingbirds

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.

These hummingbirds are out of their normal area of occupancy but have been documented as being seen in West Virginia.

BLACK-CHINNED HUMMINGBIRD – (Archilochus alexandri)

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

Black-chinned hummingbirds are a migrating species and are considered the hummingbird of the West. On average, out of 10,000 hummingbirds, West Virginians will see only 8 Black-chinned hummingbirds.
See: West Virginia Black-chinned sighting map

Black-chinned hummingbird’s scientific name is in commemoration of Dr. Alexandre, a French doctor who was the first to discover the species in Mexico. 

Male Black-chinned hummingbirds are identified by their royal purple gorget, showing a small glimmer of color right near the neckline like a buttoned-up shirt. Since the male purple gorget or throat color is minimal, at times they can appear to look all black. They have metallic green on their backs and flanks with white on their underbelly. Their dark tail is forked and their bill is black. Their size is 3.25 inches to 3.5 inches in length and weighs 2.8-5.6 grams.

Female and juvenile Black-chinned hummingbirds have no gorget, but have a dark rounded tail with white tips and beige margins on the dorsal feathers that turn dark black as they mature.  Their head and back reflect the dull metallic marbled colors of beige, greens, whites, yellow-green, and dark browns, looking similar to the scales found on a snake.

Black-chinned hummingbirds breed east of the Cascade mountain range. They are known to make their nests near larger more active bird nests, reducing the chance of predators around the nest by using a decoy strategy.

Black-chinned hummingbirds have the smallest known genetic material of all living vertebrates or mammals. Because of their small size, they are at risk of being preyed upon by larger insect-eating birds.
See my article: 10 Common Things That Kill Hummingbirds

While typically a territorial species, if Black-chinned hummingbirds find themselves in an area with a large population of hummingbirds and food sources, their territorial behavior reduces, and they will play nice and share. 

They hybridize and readily crossbreed with other hummingbird species. Black-chinned hummingbirds can live up to 10 years, which is extremely long in comparison to other birds and animals of similar size. 

During a capture and release banding operation in Texas, the oldest living recorded female Black-chinned hummingbird was 11 years and 2 months old.
See my article: 3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

See pictures: Male, female, and juvenile Black-chinned hummingbirds
Hear sounds: Black-chinned hummingbirds

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 does not appear on the sightings map, however, Broad-tailed hummingbirds are identified as a West Virginia hummingbird by one of Google’s top-ranked websites.

Male Broad-tailed hummingbirds have an iridescent ruby-red gorget. Both males and females Broad-tailed hummingbirds have green topside and pale underbellies with bright white eye rings and broadly rounded tails. Their size is medium build and ranges from 3.3 inches to 3.8 inches in length and weighs 3.6 grams.

Note: Male Broad-tailed hummingbirds usually have an iridescent ruby-red gorget, however depending on the lighting their gorget can appear dark in color, as shown above. 

Note: Preening flight feathers is an important daily routine to maintain hygiene and to keep the feathers flexible, strong, in alignment, and parasite-free.

Female and juvenile Broad-tailed hummingbirds have no gorget, but have green topsides from their head to their tail and pale to beige underbellies with bright white eye rings and broadly rounded tails. 

Note: Hummingbirds beat their wings 80 beats per second. While hovering, the wings move back and forth forming a figure eight or infinity symbol. This powerful movement creates a fanning effect as noticed by the ruffling feathers on both sides of her lower back. 

Note: The thick blanket of pollen on its bill and throat. This juvenile Broad-tailed hummingbird has been busy pollinating and drinking nectar from flowers to sustain its high metabolism. 

Note: The thick blanket of pollen on its bill and newly white fluffy down feathers on this baby/juvenile Broad-tailed hummingbird’s bottom. 

Also, notice the nice fat reserves they have accumulated by being fed by their diligent mother which will sustain them through adolescence.

The Broad-tailed hummingbird travels frequently to the United States near the southern Mexican border.

They have a migrant and non-migrant population that begins in the south of Mexico. The ones that migrate north to breed will do so during spring migration and will pass through Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and reach as far north as Montana.

Once the breeding season is complete, Broad-tailed hummingbirds will depart and begin their southbound fall migration to winter in Mexico and meet up with their non-migrant population.

See my article: Hummingbird Migration in West Virginia

The Broad-tailed hummingbird favors habitats in the understory of mature forest woodlands such as pine and oak groves. They chose to nest on the branches of trees and have been known to return to the same nesting ground each year, roughly 70% of the time.

Their breeding time coincides with the peak time of flowering native plants for maximum food resource availability. Their favorite nectar-producing flower plants include Red Columbine, Indian Paintbrush, Sage varieties, Currants, and Scarlet Mint.

They are promiscuous and do not form any kind of a pair bond between male and female birds and again the female raises the young alone.

The Broad-tailed hummingbird has suffered a decline in population since the 1990s, but presently, its population is stable, and it has been shown to have adapted to human habitat encroachment.

During a capture and release banding operation in Colorado, the oldest living recorded female Broad-tailed hummingbird was 12 years and 2 months.
See my article: 3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

See pictures: Male, female, and juvenile Broad-tailed hummingbirds
Hear sounds: Broad-tailed 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 (AKA Green Violetear) hummingbird migrates from the tropical regions of Central America and is considered extremely rare when sited in West Virginia. On average, out of 10,000 hummingbirds, West Virginians will see 6 Mexican Violetear hummingbirds.
See: West Virginia Mexican Violetear sightings map

If a hummingbird enthusiast is fortunate enough to see a Mexican violetear hummingbird in West Virginia, consider it as lucky as winning the jackpot in Las Vegas.

The Mexican violetear (pronounced Violet-ear) gets its name from the Latin word thalassinus meaning “color of the sea”. 

Male Mexican violetear hummingbirds are iridescent green in color with a show of bright violet ear patches on each side of their neck (hence the name “violet-ears”). The tail of this hummingbird is metallic blue-green with bronze central tail feathers that feature a black band underneath. Their size ranges from 3.8 inches to 4.7 inches in length and they weigh 5-6 grams. 

These species of hummingbirds are found on the edge of cloud forests from Mexico to Nicaragua, where they enjoy a high level of tropical humidity in their environment. This dark hummingbird is commonly seen in forest clearings and edges.

Mexican violetear hummingbirds are somewhat nomadic. Scientists do not know much about their migration patterns as they have not been well-studied. But of the data that has been collected, the Mexican violetear is typically found in central Mexico, Central America, and northern South America. 

While mostly a permanent resident throughout its normal range, some individual Mexican violetear hummingbirds have strayed and wandered as far north as Wisconsin, Michigan, and even Canada. 

Like many other kinds of hummingbirds, the Mexican violetear hummingbird is a solitary nester.  They forage for nectar and insects alone rather than in a flock, but groups of these hummingbirds can be seen around flowering trees, such as the coffee-shade Inga tree.

See pictures and hear sounds: Male, female, and juvenile Mexican Violetear hummingbirds

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

See my article: Hummingbird Migration in West Virginia

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

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