Delaware Hummingbirds: 6 Awesome Documented Species

This article identifies all hummingbirds documented as seen in Delaware and where they are seen in the state.

It further identifies if that specific hummingbird species is a year-round resident, a seasonal visitor, or a rare vagrant hummingbird seen in Delaware.

Which Species Of Delaware Hummingbirds Are Found In The State?

Ruby-throated, Rufous, Allen’s, Calliope, Black-chinned, and Broad-tailed hummingbirds are the 6 species of hummingbirds documented as seen in Delaware listed in order of frequency seen.

Sighting Maps:

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

• Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)
• Rufous (Selasphorus rufus)
• Allen’s (Selasphorus sasin)
• Calliope (Selasphorus calliope)
• Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri)
• Broad-tailed (Selasphorus platycercus)

These 6 hummingbird species found in Delaware 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
Allen’s	Rare/Vagrant
Calliope	Rare/Vagrant
Black-chinned	Rare/Vagrant
Broad-tailed	Rare/Vagrant

For more information on Delaware hummingbirds
Read my article:
Delaware 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 Delaware.

Year-Round Delaware Hummingbirds

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

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

Seasonal Delaware Hummingbirds

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only classified seasonal Delaware hummingbird.
Hummingbirds that fit within this category are those that migrate through Delaware 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 Delaware.

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 Delaware.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only hummingbirds that breed and nest in Delaware.

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

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Rare/Vagrant Delaware Hummingbirds

Rufous, Allen’s, Calliope, Black-chinned, and Broad-tailed hummingbirds are the 5 classified rare or vagrant hummingbirds in Delaware.

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 Delaware.

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

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

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

For more pictures and information on Rufous 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, therefore they are rare migratory visitors to Delaware.

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

For more pictures and information on Allen’s 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 Delaware.

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

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 Delaware.

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

For more pictures and information on 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 is primarily found in the mountainous regions of western North America and migrates south to winter in Mexico and Guatemala.
They are extremely rare hummingbirds to Delaware.

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

For more pictures and information on Broad-tailed hummingbirds.

Which Delaware 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 Delaware.

Delaware hummingbirds listed in order of frequency seen:

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

Ruby-throated hummingbird: 98% of all hummingbirds seen in Delaware are Ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Out of 10,000 Delaware hummingbirds seen, 9,861 will be a Ruby-throated hummingbird.

Rufous hummingbird: 0.65% of all hummingbirds seen in Delaware are Rufous hummingbirds.
Out of 10,000 Delaware hummingbirds seen, only 65 will be a Rufous hummingbird.

Allen’s hummingbird: 0.57% of all hummingbirds seen in Delaware are Allen’s hummingbirds.
Out of 10,000 Delaware hummingbirds seen, only 57 will be an Allen’s hummingbird.

Calliope hummingbird: 0.10% of all hummingbirds seen in Delaware are the Calliope hummingbirds.
Out of 10,000 Delaware hummingbirds seen, only 10 will be a Calliope hummingbird.

Black-chinned hummingbird: 0.06% of all hummingbirds seen in Delaware are Black-chinned hummingbirds.
Out of 10,000 Delaware hummingbirds seen, only 6 will be a Black-chinned hummingbird.

Broad-tailed hummingbird: 0.01% of all hummingbirds seen in Delaware are Broad-tailed hummingbirds.
Out of 20,000 Delaware hummingbirds seen, only 1 will be a Broad-tailed hummingbird.

Where In The State Are Delaware Hummingbirds Seen?

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

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

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

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

Allen’s Hummingbird: This is where, in Delaware, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

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

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

Broad-tailed Hummingbird: This is where, in Delaware, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

Read my article:
Delaware Hummingbird Migration

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions