Hummingbirds Found in Tennessee: (Pictures and Sounds)

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

Which species of Tennessee hummingbirds are found in the state?

Ruby-throated, Rufous, Black-chinned, Calliope, Allen’s, Anna’s, Broad-tailed, Broad-billed, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 9 species documented as seen in Tennessee listed in order of frequency seen.

Sighting Maps:

These 9 species of hummingbirds are documented as being seen in Tennessee by sighting maps, listed in the order of frequently seen:

• Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)
• Rufous (Selasphorus rufus)
• Black-chinned (Archilochus alexandri)
• Calliope (Selasphorus calliope)
• Allen’s (Selasphorus sasin)
• Anna’s (Calypte anna)
• Broad-tailed (Selasphorus platycercus)
• Broad-billed (Cynanthus latirostris)
• Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus)

These 9 hummingbird species found in Tennessee 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
Black-chinned	Rare/Vagrant
Calliope	Rare/Vagrant
Allen’s	Rare/Vagrant
Anna’s	Rare/Vagrant
Broad-tailed	Rare/Vagrant
Broad-billed	Rare/Vagrant
Mexican Violetear	Rare/Vagrant

For more information on Tennessee hummingbirds:
Read my article: 
Hummingbird Migration in Tennessee

It is easy to assume all hummingbirds are the same when we rarely see them as more than a jewel-toned flashing blur as they jet around our hanging flowers and porches in Tennessee.
They have different temperaments, varied nesting habits, diverse coloring and reside in multiple geographical ranges.

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

Year-Round
Tennessee Hummingbirds:

There are no hummingbirds classified as year-round residents in Tennessee.

This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds that are year-round residents residing in Tennessee 365 days a year and do not migrate.

Tennessee winters are cold and harsh for hummingbirds to survive year-round, therefore most migrate south for the winter.
However, some Rufous hummingbirds choose to overwinter in Tennessee even though it is rare, along with other species that are too old or injured to migrate.

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
Tennessee Hummingbirds:

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only classified seasonal Tennessee hummingbird.

Hummingbirds that fit within this category are those that temporality pass through Tennessee 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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

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.
They are the most common hummingbird seen in Tennessee.

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

According to Tennessee State University (TSU), the majority of migrating Ruby-throated hummingbirds merely travel through Tennessee on their way to more northern breeding grounds that extend into Canada, however many stay in Tennessee to nest every spring.

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Taken: Oneida, Tennessee

Taken: Oneida, Tennessee

Taken: Oneida, Tennessee

Taken: Oneida, Tennessee

Rare/Vagrant
Tennessee Hummingbirds:

Rufous, Black-chinned, Calliope, Allen’s, Anna’s, Broad-tailed, Broad-billed, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 8 Tennessee 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 Tennessee.

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 breed in the north from southern Alaska and most travel all the way south to winter in Mexico.
They are a rare visitor to Tennessee since they are seen mainly in the Western United States.

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

According to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (tn.gov) and Tennessee State University (TSU), the Rufous hummingbird spends part or all of the winter in Tennessee.

Sightings map show the Rufous hummingbirds have documented Tennessee sightings in areas of Memphis, Nashville, Cookeville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga.

For more pictures and information on Rufous 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 and are rare/vagrants to Tennessee.

Sighting map show Black-chinned hummingbirds have documented Tennessee sightings in the areas of Memphis, Clarksville, Nashville, and Chattanooga.

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 visitors to Tennessee.

Sightings map shows Calliope hummingbirds have rare documented Tennessee sightings in Nashville and Knoxville.

For more pictures and information on Calliope 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 extremely rare/vagrants to Tennessee. 

Sightings map document the Allen’s hummingbird to have documented rare Tennessee sightings south of Nashville, west of Cookeville, Knoxville, Johnson City, Old Hickory, and Chattanooga.

For more pictures and information on Allen’s 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 an extremely rare visitor to Tennessee since they are seen mainly in the Western United States.

Sightings map show Anna’s hummingbirds have extremely rare documented sightings south of Nashville and north of Chattanooga Tennessee.

For more pictures and information on Anna’s 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, though usually residing in Mexico and as far south as Guatemala during the winter, is an extremely rare/vagrant hummingbird to Tennessee.

Sightings map show Broad-tailed hummingbirds have rare documented Tennessee sightings in Nashville and Chattanooga.

For more pictures and information on Broad-tailed 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, however due to Tennessee’s location in the eastern United States, Broad-billed hummingbirds are extremely rare.

Sightings map shows the Broad-billed hummingbirds have extremely rare documented Tennessee sightings east of Memphis and in Covington.

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 a rare/accidental visitor to Tennessee. 

Sightings map document the Mexican-Violetear hummingbirds to have rare documented Tennessee sightings in Clarksville and Asheville.

For more pictures and information on Mexican Violetear hummingbirds.

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

See my article:
Hummingbird Migration in Tennessee

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions

Happy Hummingbird Watching!