Kentucky Hummingbirds: 6 Awesome Documented Species

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

Which Species Of Kentucky Hummingbirds Are Found In The State?

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

Sighting Maps:

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

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

These 6 hummingbirds species found in Kentucky 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
Anna’s	Rare/Vagrant
Black-chinned	Rare/Vagrant
Mexican Violetear	Rare/Vagrant

Read my article:
Kentucky 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 Kentucky.

Year-Round
Kentucky Hummingbirds:

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

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

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
Kentucky Hummingbirds:

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only classified seasonal Kentucky hummingbird.
Hummingbirds that fit within this category are those that migrate through Kentucky on a spring or fall migration 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 Kentucky.

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 Kentucky.

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only one that breeds and nests in Kentucky.

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

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Rare/Vagrant
Kentucky Hummingbirds:

Rufous, Allen’s, Anna’s, Black-chinned, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 5 Kentucky hummingbirds classified as rare or vagrant hummingbirds.

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 Kentucky.

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

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

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

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 Kentucky.

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

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 rare visitors to Kentucky since they are seen mainly in the Western United States.

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

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, therefore they are rare/vagrants to Kentucky.

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

For more pictures and information on Black-chinned 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 Kentucky.

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

For more pictures and information on Mexican Violetear hummingbirds.

Which Kentucky 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 Kentucky.

Kentucky hummingbirds listed in order of frequency seen:

Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 98% of all hummingbirds seen in Kentucky are the Ruby-throated hummingbird. Out of 10,000 Kentucky hummingbirds seen, 9,888 will be a Ruby-throated hummingbird.

Rufous Hummingbird: 0.73% of all hummingbirds seen in Kentucky are Rufous hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Kentucky hummingbirds seen, only 73 will be a Rufous hummingbird.

Allen’s Hummingbird: 0.18% of all hummingbirds seen in Kentucky are the Allen’s hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Kentucky hummingbirds seen, only 17 will be an Allen’s hummingbird.

Anna’s Hummingbird: 0.16% of all hummingbirds seen in Kentucky are Anna’s hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Kentucky hummingbirds seen, only 15 will be Anna’s hummingbird.

Black-chinned Hummingbird: 0.05% of all hummingbirds seen in Kentucky are Black-chinned hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Kentucky hummingbirds seen, only 5 will be a Black-chinned hummingbird.

Mexican Violetear Hummingbird: 0.01% of all hummingbirds seen in Kentucky are Mexican Violetear hummingbirds. Out of 20,000 Kentucky hummingbirds seen, only 1 will be a Mexican Violetear hummingbird.

Where In The State Are Kentucky Hummingbirds Seen?

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

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

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird: This is where, in Kentucky, current sightings of these hummingbirds are being reported.
• Rufous Hummingbird: This is where, in Kentucky, current sightings of these hummingbirds are being reported.
• Allen’s Hummingbird: This is where, in Kentucky, current sightings of these hummingbirds are being reported.
• Anna’s Hummingbird: This is where, in Kentucky, current sightings of these hummingbirds are being reported.
• Black-chinned Hummingbird: This is where, in Kentucky, current sightings of these hummingbirds are being reported.
• Mexican Violetear Hummingbird: This is where, in Kentucky, current sightings of these hummingbirds are being reported.
• Broad-billed Hummingbird: This is where, in Kentucky, current sightings of these hummingbirds are being reported.
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird: This is where, in Kentucky, current sightings of these hummingbirds are being reported.

Read my article:
Kentucky Hummingbird Migration

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions

Happy Hummingbird Watching!