Iowa Hummingbirds: 5 Awesome Documented Species

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

Which Species Of Iowa Hummingbirds Are Found In The State?

Ruby-throated, Rufous, Mexican Violetear, Anna’s, and Broad-billed hummingbirds are the 5 species documented as seen in Iowa listed in order of frequency seen.

Sighting Maps:

These 5 species of hummingbirds are documented as being seen in Iowa by sighting maps, listed in the order of frequently seen:

• Ruby-throated (Archilochus colubris)
• Rufous (Selasphorus rufus)
• Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus)
• Anna’s (Calypte anna)
• Broad-billed (Cynanthus latirostris)

These 5 hummingbird species are found in Iowa 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
Mexican Violetear	Rare/Vagrant
Anna’s	Rare/Vagrant
Broad-billed	Rare/Vagrant

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

Year-Round
Iowa Hummingbirds:

There are no hummingbirds classified as year-round residents in Iowa.
This hummingbird classification is defined as year-round residents residing in Iowa 365 days a year.

Contrary to popular belief, hummingbirds can withstand far lower temperatures than most people would expect.
Hummingbirds seen in the middle of winter in Iowa are those too old or injured to migrate.

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
Iowa Hummingbirds:

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

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 Iowa.

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

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

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Rare/Vagrant
Iowa Hummingbirds:

Rufous, Mexican Violetear, Anna’s, Broad-billed hummingbirds are the 4 Iowa 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 Iowa.

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

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

For more pictures and information on Rufous 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 vagrants to Iowa.

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

For more pictures and information on Mexican Violetear 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 extremely rare to Iowa since they are seen mainly in the Western United States.

See the current sighting map of Anna’s hummingbirds in Iowa.

For more pictures and information on Anna’s 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 are extremely rare to see in Iowa.

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

For more pictures and information on Broad-billed hummingbirds.

Which Iowa Hummingbirds Are Most Frequently Seen In The State?

The most frequently seen Iowa hummingbirds is the Ruby-throated hummingbird, followed by a very distant second, the Rufous hummingbird.

Iowa hummingbirds listed in order of frequency seen:

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

Rufous Hummingbird: 0.33% of all hummingbirds seen in Iowa is a Rufous hummingbird. Out of 10,000 Iowa hummingbirds seen, only 33 will be a Rufous hummingbird.

Mexican Violetear Hummingbird: 0.04% of all hummingbirds seen in Iowa is a Mexican Violetear hummingbird. Out of 10,000 Iowa hummingbirds seen, only 4 will be a Mexican Violetear hummingbird.

Anna’s Hummingbird: 0.04% of all hummingbirds seen in Iowa is an Anna’s hummingbird. Out of 10,000 Iowa hummingbirds seen, only 4 will be an Anna’s hummingbird.

Broad-billed Hummingbird: 0.02% of all hummingbirds seen in Iowa is a Broad-billed hummingbird. Out of 10,000 Iowa hummingbirds seen, only 2 will be a Broad-billed hummingbird.

Where In The State Are Iowa Hummingbirds Seen?

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

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

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird: This is where, in Iowa, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Rufous Hummingbird: This is where, in Iowa, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Mexican Violetear Hummingbird: This is where, in Iowa, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Anna’s Hummingbird: This is where, in Iowa, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Broad-billed Hummingbird: This is where, in Iowa, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Allen’s Hummingbird: This is where, in Iowa, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird: This is where, in Iowa, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Calliope Hummingbird: This is where, in Iowa, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Costa’s Hummingbird: This is where, in Iowa, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

Read my article:
Iowa Hummingbird Migration

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions