Connecticut Hummingbirds: 6 Awesome Documented Species

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

Which species of Connecticut hummingbirds are found in the state?

Ruby-throated, Rufous, Calliope, Black-chinned, Broad-billed, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 6 species of hummingbirds documented as seen in Connecticut listed in order of frequency seen.

Sighting Maps:

These 6 species of hummingbirds are documented as being seen in Connecticut by sighting maps, listed in the order of frequently seen:

• Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)
• Rufous (Selasphorus rufus)
• Calliope (Selasphorus calliope)
• Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri)
• Broad-billed (Cynanthus latirostris)
• Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus)

These 6 hummingbird species found in Connecticut and 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
Black-chinned	Rare/Vagrant
Broad-billed	Rare/Vagrant
Mexican Violetear	Rare/Vagrant

For more information on Connecticut hummingbirds:
Read my article:
Connecticut Hummingbird Migration

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

Year-Round
Connecticut Hummingbirds:

There are no hummingbirds classified as year-round residents in Connecticut.
This hummingbird classification is defined as year-round residents residing in Connecticut 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.

See my article:
3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

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

Seasonal
Connecticut Hummingbirds:

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only classified seasonal Connecticut hummingbird.
Hummingbirds that fit within this category are those that migrate through Connecticut on a spring or fall emigration 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 Connecticut.

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 Connecticut.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only hummingbird that breeds and nests in Connecticut.

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

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Rare/Vagrant
Connecticut Hummingbirds:

Rufous, Calliope, Black-chinned, Broad-billed, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 5 Connecticut hummingbirds classified as rare or vagrant.
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 Connecticut.

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 Connecticut since they are seen mainly in the Western United States.

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

They are the second most commonly seen hummingbird in Connecticut, 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 Connecticut.

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.
They breed in the north from southern Alaska and most travel all the way south to winter in Mexico, therefore making them rare/vagrants to Connecticut.

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

For more pictures and information on Calliope 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, therefore they are rare/vagrants to Connecticut.

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

For more pictures and information on Black-chinned hummingbirds.

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 native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and down into Central America.
They travel frequently to the United States close to the southern Mexican border.

Due to Connecticut’s location in the eastern United States, Broad-billed hummingbirds are extremely rare.

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

For more pictures and information on Broad-billed 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 extremely rare/accidental vagrants to Connecticut.

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

For more pictures and information on Mexican Violetear hummingbirds.

Which Connecticut Hummingbirds Are Most Frequently Seen In The State?

The Ruby-throated hummingbird, followed in a very distant second place the Rufous hummingbird are the two most frequently seen hummingbirds in Connecticut.

Connecticut hummingbirds listed in the order of frequency seen:

These are Connecticut statistics at the end of 2023 as reported by ebird.org

Ruby-throated hummingbird: 99% of all hummingbirds seen in Connecticut are the Ruby-throated hummingbird. Out of 10,000 Connecticut hummingbirds seen, 9,913 will be the Ruby-throated hummingbird.

Rufous hummingbird: 0.71% of all hummingbirds seen in Connecticut are the Rufous hummingbird. Out of 10,000 Connecticut hummingbirds seen, only 71 will be the Rufous hummingbird.

Calliope hummingbird: 0.09% of all hummingbirds seen in Connecticut are the Calliope hummingbird. Out of 10,000 Connecticut hummingbirds seen, only 9 will be the Calliope hummingbird.

Black-chinned hummingbird: 0.05% of all hummingbirds seen in Connecticut are the Black-chinned hummingbird. Out of 10,000 Connecticut hummingbirds seen, only 5 will be the Black-chinned hummingbird.

Broad-billed hummingbird: Out of 40,000 Connecticut hummingbirds seen, only 1 will be the Broad-billed hummingbird.

Mexican Violetear: Out of 40,000 Connecticut hummingbirds seen, only 1 will be the Mexican Violetear hummingbird.

Where In The State Are Connecticut Hummingbirds Seen?

Hummingbirds are seen in Connecticut throughout the state.
Some are seen throughout the entirety of the state, while others are only seen in specific, limited areas of Connecticut.

Click the link below to see the current sighting map of where
Connecticut hummingbirds are being seen (eBird.org links)

Ruby-throated hummingbird: This is where, in Connecticut, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

Rufous hummingbird: This is where, in Connecticut, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

Calliope hummingbird: This is where, in Connecticut, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

Black-chinned hummingbird: This is where, in Connecticut, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

Broad-billed hummingbird: This is where, in Connecticut, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

Mexican Violetear: This is where, in Connecticut, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

Read my article:
Connecticut Hummingbird Migration

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions