Hummingbirds Found in Indiana: (Pictures and Sounds)

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

What species of hummingbirds are found in Indiana?

Ruby-throated, Rufous, Anna’s, Black-chinned, Calliope, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 6 species documented as seen in Indiana listed in order of frequency seen.

Sighting Maps:

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

• Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)
• Rufous (Selasphorus rufus)
• Anna’s (Calypte anna)
• Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri)
• Calliope (Selasphorus calliope)
• Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus)

These 6 hummingbird species found in Indiana are further classified into three groups:
Year-round residents, Seasonal visitors, and Rare/Vagrant visitors.

Hummingbirds:	Year-Round, Seasonal, Rare/Vagrant
Ruby-throated	Seasonal
Rufous	Rare/Vagrant
Anna’s	Rare/Vagrant
Black-chinned	Rare/Vagrant
Calliope	Rare/Vagrant
Mexican Violetear	Rare/Vagrant

The climate of Indiana is humid continental to a humid subtropical climate.
It has hot, humid and wet summers with cold bitter snowy winters.
The topography consists of flat rugged plains and hilly terrain, caves, ridges and waterfalls.

Indiana is known as the Hoosier State and has one seasonal hummingbird, the Ruby-throated hummingbird that breeds and nests in the state out of the six documented species.

The first migrating hummingbirds arrive in Indiana in mid-April and the last migrating hummingbirds are usually gone by October. 

Read my article: 
Hummingbird Migration in Indiana

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

Year-Round
Indiana Hummingbirds:

There are no hummingbirds classified as year-round residents in Indiana.
This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds that are year-round residents residing in Indiana 365 days a year and do not migrate.

Indiana winters are cold and harsh for hummingbirds to survive year-round, therefore they migrate south for the winter.
However, some hummingbirds, such as the Rufous hummingbird can choose to overwinter in Indiana even though it is rare.

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
Indiana Hummingbirds:

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

Some seasonal hummingbirds will remain in Indiana for the entire winter by choice, injury, or old age, although rare.

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

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 the most commonly seen hummingbird in Indiana.

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the Ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common hummingbird to Indiana State Parks, across the state.

Sightings map documents the Ruby-throated hummingbird is seen in every area of Indiana.

According to Purdue University of Forestry and Natural Resources in West Lafayette Indiana, the Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only species of hummingbird that nests in Indiana.
Their nesting materials consist of down from dandelion, thistle, milkweed, portions of ferns, mosses, and young leaves.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are a seasonal bird that remain throughout the summer in Indiana and begin fall migration as early as July.
The last migrating hummingbirds fly south to winter in Mexico and are usually gone by October.

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Note: All seven photos above of Ruby-throated hummingbird taken in Indiana.

Rare/Vagrant
Indiana Hummingbirds:

Rufous, Anna’s, Black-chinned, Calliope, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 5 Indiana 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 as well as where and when they can be found in Indiana.

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 a migrating species that breed as far north from southern Alaska all the way to wintering as far south in Mexico.
Occasionally, Rufous hummingbirds over-winter in Indiana, although it is rare.
They are a rare visitor to Indiana since they are seen mainly in the Western United States.

They are the second most commonly seen hummingbird in Indiana, behind the Ruby-throated hummingbird, even though there is a vast difference in sighting numbers between the two species.

Sightings map show the Rufous hummingbirds have documented Indiana sightings in scattered areas all throughout the state.

For more pictures and information on Rufous hummingbirds.

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 year-round residents to Washington, Oregon and California in the Western United States. They live along the western coastline of North America, starting from southern Canada all the way to northern Baja California.
They are a rare visitor to Indiana since they are seen mainly in the Western United States.

Sightings map show Anna’s hummingbirds have rare documented Indiana sightings north of Indianapolis in-between Kokomo and Frankfort.

For more pictures and information on Anna’s 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.
They are an extremely rare visitor to Indiana.

Sighting map show Black-chinned hummingbirds have rare documented Indiana sightings south of Indianapolis in Bloomington and north of Evansville in Princeton.

For more pictures and information on Black-chinned 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 extremely rare/vagrants to Indiana.

Sightings map shows Calliope hummingbirds have extremely rare documented Indiana sightings in Bloomington and Evansville.

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the state ornithologist has listed the Calliope hummingbird as a bird species found in Indiana.

For more pictures and information on Calliope 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 an extremely rare/accidental visitor to Indiana. 

Sightings map document the Mexican-Violetear hummingbirds to have one extremely rare Indiana sighting in Lafayette.

According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), the state ornithologist has listed the Mexican Violetear hummingbird as a bird species found in Indiana.

For more pictures and information on Mexican Violetear hummingbirds.

Keep your eyes peeled and observe and enjoy the multiple types of hummingbirds found in Indiana!

Read my article:
Hummingbird Migration in Indiana

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions

Happy Hummingbird Watching!