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North Carolina, known as The Tar Heel State, is located on the southeastern coast of the United States. It is surrounded by Virginia to the north, the North Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south and Tennessee to the west.
The state of North Carolina experiences the traditional four seasons of winter, spring, summer and fall. This sub-tropical climate consists of cold and wet winters, hot and humid summers, and heavy rainfall in the mountains.
Local residents and seasonal tourists alike are attracted to the diverse habitats of the Appalachian Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park along with many other locations to watch, enjoy and connect with hummingbirds and nature.
What types of hummingbirds are found in North Carolina?
- There are 11 species of hummingbirds found in North Carolina.
- Year-round natives: Ruby-throated
- Seasonal: None
- Rare/Vagrant: Rufous, Black-chinned, Calliope, Anna’s, Allen’s, Broad-billed, Green-violetear (Mexican-violetear), Buff-bellied, Broad-tailed, Green-breasted mango
Categories of Hummingbirds
Year-round/Native Hummingbirds:
This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds residing in a group in North Carolina 365 days a year and do not migrate.
- Ruby-throated
Seasonal Hummingbirds
These hummingbirds are in North Carolina temporarily as part of their migratory pattern. Some of these species spend either a season or the entire spring, summer, fall or winter in North Carolina.
- None
Rare/Vagrant Hummingbirds
This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds residing in a group outside of their normal geographic range when found in North Carolina. Not only do these species of hummingbirds have a wide variety of specific geographic ranges, they are also known to sometimes interbreed with each other, creating hybrids.
- Rufous
- Black-chinned
- Calliope
- Anna’s
- Allen’s
- Broad-billed
- Green-violetear (Mexican-violetear)
- Buff-bellied
- Broad-tailed
- Green-breasted mango
The Ruby-throated hummingbird is one out of the eleven hummingbird species found in North Carolina that make regular appearances.
Read on to find out more about each of these hummingbird species as well as where and when they can be found in North Carolina.
Year-round/Native Hummingbirds
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 hummingbird’s scientific name originated from Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, who first listed this scientific classification as “Trochilus colubris”. It’s 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”.
The male Ruby-throated hummingbird has 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 2 dimes and is 2.8 to 3.3 inches in length. Their lifespan is approximately 5 years.
The gorget on a male hummingbird is named after the protective metal piece in a suit of armor that covers the wearer’s throat to prevent injury when in battle.
Since male hummingbirds are extremely aggressive with each other when fighting for their own territory, this name is appropriate and fitting to describe their physical attributes.
The females have a white throat with some light stippling and are typically larger than the males. Their lifespan is approximately 9 years, almost double that of the male.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are common year-round native residents in North Carolina and can be identified over-wintering in the state. However, some migrate south to winter.
Hummingbird migration on the east coast mirrors the Appalachian Trail and as it divides North Carolina.
The Appalachian Trail is one of the oldest United States National Scenic series of pathways spanning 2,180 miles between Maine to Georgia crossing through 14 states. It is a crucial and conservational protected migration path for many birds.
According to the North Carolina State University, Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only species of hummingbird that breeds in North Carolina. They begin to migrate to the state of North Carolina from the south as early as February to breed and their nesting season begins in April.
Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles extending north along US 250 from Rockfish Gap, Virginia to the south along US 441 in Swain County, North Carolina. According to the Blue Ridge Parkway Birds Species Checklist, Ruby-throated and Rufous hummingbirds are seen during spring and fall migration.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers 522,427 acres and is evenly divided between North Carolina and Tennessee. It is 384 miles driving and provides 850 miles of backcountry trails. Their website states the Appalachian Trail runs approximately 70 miles through the park. These statistics are found on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website. Also, according to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Birds Checklist, Ruby-throated hummingbirds are a fairly common summer and fall resident.
Migrating Ruby-throated hummingbirds are spotted starting in late March through the end of October. Migrating male Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the first to arrive in North Carolina and the first to migrate south to Mexico and South America for the winter. Females and juveniles are one to two weeks behind and mimic the path of the males.
There are two southern migration routes for the Ruby-throated hummingbird.
The first route is the shortest but exhausting nonstop direct journey from the Mississippi Delta or the tip of Florida to the Mexican Yucatan peninsula over the Gulf of Mexico. This distance is over 500 miles. Although this is the direct or “short” route, there are numerous obstacles faced by these hummingbirds.
The tropical Atlantic hurricanes pose life threatening challenges while these hummingbirds fly to their destination. There are no respite areas during their journey for them to refuel and rest during their migration. Once they commit to this direct route, they will either be successful or perish. To make matters worse, part of their migration is taking the “Red-eye flight” during the dark hours of the night.
Researchers believe their small size makes the energy expenditure of their grueling trans-oceanic migration journey more taxing for males than for females even though they both double their body’s fat content prior to making the migration across the Gulf of Mexico.
The second migration route from the Mississippi Delta to the Mexican Yucatan peninsula is flying along the coastline which outlines the Gulf of Mexico and is the “long” route and consists of over 2,000 miles. It allows them the opportunity to rest and refuel even though there are less guaranteed food sources along the way.
Scientists are unclear and continue to investigate as to why one group of birds would prefer to take one route over the other.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds prefer:
- Open woodland forests
- Bottomlands near rivers with thick evergreen shrubs and trees
- Parks
- Gardens
- Backyards
They enjoy drinking from Trumpet vines and Scarlet honeysuckle and are solitary birds except during mating periods when they are fiercely territorial and aggressive towards hummingbirds of other species.
Though these hummingbirds exhibit an aggressive nature they can still be eaten by predators such as large invertebrates, praying mantises, orb-weaver spiders, and dragonflies.
See pictures of male, female, and juvenile Ruby-throated hummingbirds here…..
Hear sounds of Ruby-throated hummingbirds here…..
Seasonal Hummingbirds
None
Rare/Vagrant Hummingbirds
RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD – (Selasphorus rufus)
Conservation Status: Near threatened
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Selasphorus
Species: S. rufous
The Rufous hummingbird gets its name from the Latin word rubrum meaning “red” that is used to describe its reddish-brown coloring. According to the Carolina Bird Club, the Rufous hummingbird is considered the second most sighted hummingbird in North Carolina even though they are mainly a west coast migrant, breeding from northern Alaska to southern Idaho.
During their fall migration, the Rufous hummingbird’s GPS can sometimes lead them as far east as the Atlantic ocean. They are considered a vagrant winter visitor to North Carolina.
The Blue Ridge Parkway Birds Species Checklist states, Rufous and Ruby-throated hummingbirds are seen during spring and fall migration. The Blue Ridge Parkway is 469 miles extending north along US 250 from Rockfish Gap, Virginia to the south along US 441 in Swain County, North Carolina.
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.
Immature male Rufous hummingbirds have a rustic look with small iridescent orange specks of color on their throats.
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.
Rufous hummingbirds are highly territorial and are aggressive towards other hummingbirds and animals. They have been known to even attack squirrels and chipmunks that come too close to their nest. Their flying acrobatic skills can outmaneuver all other hummingbird species, making them extremely competitive at feeders.
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.
During a capture and release banding operation in British Columbia, the oldest living recorded female Rufous hummingbird was 8 years and 11 months old.
See my article: 3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded
Due to habitat loss in the Pacific Northwest, Rufous hummingbirds were listed at “near threatened” status by the IUCN red list of threatened species in 2018.
See pictures of male, female and juvenile Rufous hummingbirds here…..
Hear sounds of Rufous hummingbirds here…..
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 hummingbird’s scientific name is in commemoration of Dr. Alexandre, a French doctor who was the first to discover this species in Mexico. They are a rare late fall and winter guest with predominant sightings along the east coast.
According to the Carolina Bird Club, Black-chinned hummingbird sightings to date have been along the coastal plains in the winter from November to late March, casual to rare winter visitors inland between Goldsboro, Laurinburg and Whispering Pines and one accidental record in the mountains. They are primarily seen at feeders.
Their breeding grounds and habitat are closely related to the Ruby-throated hummingbird which include open woodlands, parks, gardens and backyards.
Male Black-chinned hummingbirds are identified by their royal purple gorget, showing a small glimmer of color right near the neckline mimicking a buttoned-up shirt. Since the male purple gorget or throat color is minimal, at times they will appear to look all black. There is 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.
Female/juvenile Black-chinned hummingbirds have no gorget. They 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.
Black-chinned hummingbirds 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.
Because of their small size, Black-chinned hummingbirds are at risk of being preyed-upon by larger insect-eating birds. Black-chinned hummingbirds are known to make their nests near large, active bird nests, reducing the chance of predators around the nest by using a decoy strategy.
While typically a territorial species, if Black-chinned hummingbirds find themselves in an area with a large population of hummingbirds and food sources of plenty, their territorial behaviors will be less aggressive and they will share.
Black-chinned hummingbirds have the smallest known genetic material of all living vertebrates or mammals.
See pictures of male, female and juvenile Black-chinned hummingbirds here…..
Hear sounds of Black-chinned hummingbirds here…..
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 named after a Greek mythological muse, who represented poetry and eloquence. Calliope means “beautiful voice” in ancient Greek.
According to the Carolina Bird Club, accidental migrant Calliope hummingbird sightings to date have been three along the coast, sixteen further inland and two in the mountains. Even though Calliope hummingbirds are considered accidental winter visitors to North Carolina the sightings have been increasing by a minimum of two every winter. They are primarily seen at feeders.
Calliope hummingbirds are the smallest long-distance migratory bird in the world. They tend to breed in the higher elevations of the Rocky Mountains.
Male Calliope hummingbirds are easily identified by their iridescent purple crown and long striking spaced outline row of feathers that project down the sides of their throats. Their backs are, like many hummingbirds, metallic green. Their size measures 3 inches in length.
Female Calliope hummingbirds have gray-green crowns and buff-colored flanks which are the underbelly or wing of a bird. Females sport dark tails with white tips.
Like many hummingbirds, Calliopes communicate not just by their song, but also by manipulating their feathers during flight to make different buzzing noises that act as a form of language and communication.
Male Calliope hummingbirds establish a breeding territory and mate with every available female hummingbird that accepts his courtship.
When a female Calliope hummingbird builds a nest they are known to both nest on the top of pine cones and to steal building materials from the nests of other birds in order to construct their own. They will also dismantle nests from previous seasons and recycle them in their new nest.
Therefore, they are often attacked and chased by larger, more aggressive species of hummingbirds, such as Allen’s and Rufous hummingbirds. This causes them to maintain a relatively low profile in comparison to other species.
Because Calliope hummingbirds have a more restricted wintering range than most hummingbirds, they are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss and natural disasters, such as climate change and wildfires.
See pictures of male, female and juvenile Calliope hummingbirds here…..
Hear sounds of Calliope hummingbirds here…..
ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRD – (Calypte anna)
Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Calypte
Species: C. anna
Anna’s hummingbirds are named after Anna Massena, Duchess of Rivoli. They are a rare vagrant hummingbird identified in North Carolina. To date there have been 3 reported sightings of the Anna’s hummingbird. Two were on the eastern coast and one inland.
Male Anna’s hummingbird displays a colorful iridescent magenta gorget and crown. They are the only hummingbird species in North America with a red crown. They are identified as mostly green, gray, and magenta in color. Their size ranges from 3.5 inches to 4.3 inches in length.
Females are a pale green and are not as colorful as the males. They have a distinctive pale white line over each eye which is an identifiable trait.
Unlike many northern temperate hummingbirds, male Anna’s hummingbirds sing a high-pitched and squeaky song during courtship.
Female Anna’s hummingbirds raise their young with no help from the males. Anna’s hummingbirds are commonly found nesting in Northern California climate ranges.
Like Black-chinned hummingbirds, Anna’s hummingbirds hybridize, cross breeding readily with other hummingbird species.
See pictures of male, female and juvenile Anna’s hummingbirds here…..
Hear sounds of Anna’s hummingbirds here…..
ALLEN’S HUMMINGBIRD – (Selasphorus sasin)
Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Selasphorus
Species: S. sasin
The common name of Allen’s hummingbird is in commemoration of Charles Andrew Allen (1841-1930), an American collector and taxidermist.
To date there have been 3 reported sightings of the Allen’s hummingbird. Two were on the eastern coast and one inland. Allen’s hummingbirds are commonly found on the west coast of the United States, therefore they are rare vagrants in North Carolina.
The male Allen’s hummingbird shows an iridescent orange-red gorget. They are green backed with a green forehead and rust-colored flanks, rump, and tail. When their tail feathers are fanned out you can see their chocolate-colored tips. Allen’s hummingbirds are 3.3 inches to 3.5 inches in length.
The females and juveniles have similar coloring as the males, but lack the iridescent gorget.
Juvenile Allen’s hummingbirds are so similar in coloring and temperament to a Rufous hummingbird that they are practically indistinguishable in the field. Therefore, identification is established by range rather than appearance.
Male Allen’s hummingbirds perform a striking, quick back-and-forth courtship dance resembling the movement of a pendulum. They have one of the most complex territorial dive displays of any North American hummingbird.
See my article Hummingbird Dance: 5 Interpretive Explanations…..
Male and female Allen’s hummingbirds are not social birds and do not associate with one another outside of breeding. Similar to a Rufous hummingbird, Allen’s hummingbirds are highly territorial and can be aggressive not only towards other hummingbirds but will attack any species even larger predatory birds such as hawks.
Their habitat consists of open woodlands, dry chaparral vegetation consisting of dense shrubs, thorny bushes and riparian wetlands.
Allen’s hummingbirds are absent in mountainous elevations above 9,000 feet due to the lack of hummingbird flowers that would otherwise serve as their nectar source.
See pictures of male, female and juvenile Allen’s hummingbirds here…..
Hear sounds of Allen’s hummingbirds here…..
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 accidental vagrants to North Carolina. Most of their population stays year-round in Mexico and Central America and migrate to Arizona to breed. To date there have been a total of 4 recorded sightings along the North Carolina coast of which three were males.
Male Broad-billed hummingbirds feature a bright blue-green gorget that spreads back towards its shoulders. Juvenile males show off a full charcoal dark grey body with flecks of metallic blue on their throat and a light green neck and backside. They sport a long beak that is bright orange-red with a signature black tip. Their size ranges from 3.25 inches to 4 inches in length.
The females have a full colored dark bill and a white accent line above her eyes.
Both juvenile male and female Broad-billed hummingbirds are predominantly metallic green on their topside with a white underbelly. Their tails are dark in color and forked.
Broad-billed hummingbird nests are distinguishable because they do not decorate the outside of their nests with lichens but instead choose to construct their nests with outside grass fibers, bits of leaves and bark while using spider webs to glue and hold the nest together. The nest that the female builds hangs on a single long slender branch.
Astonishingly, unlike other hummingbird population counts, the Broad-billed hummingbird has shown an actual general population increase in recent years.
See pictures of male, female, and juvenile Broad-billed hummingbirds here…..
Hear sounds of Broad-billed hummingbirds here…..
GREEN-VIOLETEARS HUMMINGBIRD – (Colibri thalassinus)
Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Colibri
Species: C. thalassinus / Mexican violetear
The Green-violetears or Mexican-violetears (Violet-ear) hummingbird gets its name from the Latin word thalassinus meaning “color of the sea”. These hummingbirds are native to Mexico and are located in tropical deciduous forests of Central America. Only when they migrate and wander north are they considered accidental vagrants to North Carolina.
To date there have been three accidental migrant sightings all recorded in the mountain regions.
Male Green-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.
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.
Green-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.
Individual Mexican-violetears are found strayed as far north as Wisconsin, Michigan, and even Canada.
Like many other kinds of hummingbirds, the Green-violetears hummingbird are 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 of Mexican violet-ear hummingbirds here…..
BUFF-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD – (Amazilia yucatanensis)
Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Amazilia
Species: A. yucatanensis
Buff-bellied hummingbirds are accidental vagrants to North Carolina and are seen migrating south during the fall, winter and spring. To date, according to the Carolina Bird Club there have been two accidental migrant sightings. One is along the coast in Oriental, North Carolina and the other is inland in Winston-Salem west of Greensboro. Both were photographed at feeders.
Adult male Buff-bellied hummingbirds sport a bluish grey-turquoise gorget. They are identified as having a metallic iridescent bronze olive green back with a rusty golden-brown forked tail. Their dark brown wings can look black in certain lighting. They have an orange-red bill with a black tip and their underbelly is chestnut in color. Their size is medium build and ranges from 3.9 inches to 4.3 inches in length.
Females are less showy and their plumage is duller than the males. The juvenile’s throat and chest show a dull grey tone in color.
They prefer to nest in large shrubs or deciduous trees such as Hackberry (the cousin to the American elm). This plant has dense foliage and forgiving tree branches useful for building a nest.
Buff-bellied hummingbirds crossbreed with Rufous hummingbirds.
The oldest living recorded male Buff-bellied Hummingbird was 11 years and 2 months old during a capture and release banding operation in Texas.
See pictures of male, female and juvenile Buff-bellied hummingbirds here…..
Hear sounds of Buff-bellied hummingbirds here…..
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, though usually residing in Mexico and Guatemala during the winter, is a medium-sized accidental bird seen in North Carolina.
To date only one recorded sighting has been documented in Gibsonville, located 17.4 miles east of Greensboro due to banding. This shows why collecting and studying accurate data through hummingbird banding is extremely important in helping to identify trends of hummingbird migration patterns, biometrics, and environmental health.
See my article on: 3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded
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 in the springtime (ranging from late February to late May) 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 once again head south to winter in Mexico and meet up with their non-migrant population.
Male Broad-tailed hummingbirds have an iridescent ruby-red gorget. Both males and females 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.
This species of hummingbird favors habitats in the understory of mature forest woodlands such as pine and oak groves.
Broad-tailed hummingbirds prefer to nest in juniper shrub or coniferous plants including alder, aspen, cottonwood, scrub oak or willow. All of these have similar superb material properties for constructing a nest. These birds are known to return to the same nesting ground each year roughly 70% of the time.
Their breeding coincides with when the flowering native plants peak for maximum food resource availability. They are promiscuous and do not form any kind of a pair bond between the male and female birds. The females raise the young alone.
The Broad-tailed hummingbird has suffered a decline in population since the 1990’s, but presently, its population is stable, and has adapted to human habitat encroachment.
See pictures of male, female, and juvenile Broad-tailed hummingbirds here…..
Hear sounds of Broad-tailed hummingbirds here…..
GREEN-BREASTED MANGO (Anthracothorax prevostii)
Conservation Status: Least concerned
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Apodiformes
Family: Trochilidae
Genus: Anthracothorax
Species: A. prevostii
The scientific name of the Green-breasted Mango is in commemoration of Florent Prevost, a French naturalist. These hummingbirds are native to Mexico and reside in tropical deciduous forests from Central America all the way down to Panama. They are considered accidental vagrants to North Carolina.
To date only one recorded sighting of a juvenile male Green-breasted Mango has been documented in Concord, North Carolina located 27.1 miles east of Charlotte.
Male Green-breasted Mango hummingbirds are large in size and feature a long sapphire gorget that stretches below their chest. This hummingbird displays a turquoise crown. Their shoulders and flanks are a dark olive green and the wings and tail are dark purple that can be mistaken to look black in dark environments.
The Green-breasted Mango hummingbird’s tail when fanned out ranges from a royal purple mixed with red-orange to magenta colors. Their black beaks are thick and slightly curved downward. Their size ranges from 4 inches to 4.5 inches in length.
The female and juvenile hummingbirds have a mossy green back with black wings and a dark middle throat stretching from the throat to their underbelly. This stripe on their throat can change from black to a midnight bluish green depending on the reflection of the light.
See pictures and hear sounds of Green-breasted Mango hummingbirds here…..
Happy Hummingbird Watching!
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