Maryland Hummingbirds: 7 Awesome Documented Species

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

Which species of Maryland hummingbirds are found in the state?

Ruby-throated, Rufous, Calliope, Black-chinned, Mexican Violetear, Allen’s, and Anna’s hummingbirds are the 7 species documented as seen in Maryland listed in order of frequency seen.

Sighting Maps:

These 7 species of hummingbirds are documented as being seen in Maryland by sighting maps, listed in the order of frequently seen:

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

These 7 hummingbirds species found in Maryland 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
Calliope	Rare/Vagrant
Black-chinned	Rare/Vagrant
Mexican Violetear	Rare/Vagrant
Allen’s	Rare/Vagrant
Anna’s	Rare/Vagrant

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

Year-Round
Maryland Hummingbirds:

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

Some Rufous hummingbirds are seen in Maryland 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
Maryland Hummingbirds:

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

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 Maryland.

According to Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), Ruby-throated hummingbirds return to Maryland in early April for spring migration and begin breeding.

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

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Rare/Vagrant
Maryland Hummingbirds:

Rufous, Calliope, Black-chinned, Mexican Violetear, Allen’s, and Anna’s hummingbirds are the 6 Maryland 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 Maryland.

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

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

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

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

See the current sighting map of the Calliope hummingbird in Maryland.

For more pictures and information on Calliope 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 Maryland.

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

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 Maryland.

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

For more pictures and information on Mexican Violetear 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 Maryland.

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

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 extremely rare to Maryland since they are seen mainly in the Western United States.

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

For more pictures and information on Anna’s hummingbirds.

Which Maryland 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 Maryland.

Maryland hummingbirds listed in order of frequency seen:

Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 98% of all hummingbirds seen in Maryland are Ruby-throated hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Maryland hummingbirds seen, 9,872 will be a Ruby-throated hummingbird.

Rufous Hummingbird: 0.91% of all hummingbirds seen in Maryland are Rufous hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Maryland hummingbirds seen, only 90 will be a Rufous hummingbird.

Calliope Hummingbird: 0.22% of all hummingbirds seen in Maryland are Calliope hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Maryland hummingbirds seen, only 22 will be a Calliope hummingbird.

Black-chinned Hummingbird: 0.08% of all hummingbirds seen in Maryland are Black-chinned hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Maryland hummingbirds seen, only 8 will be a Black-chinned hummingbird.

Mexican Violetear Hummingbird: 0.03% of all hummingbirds seen in Maryland are Mexican Violetear hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Maryland hummingbirds seen, only 3 will be a Mexican Violetear hummingbird.

Allen’s Hummingbird: 0.03% of all hummingbirds seen in Maryland are Allen’s hummingbirds. Out of 10,000 Maryland hummingbirds seen, only 3 will be an Allen’s hummingbird.

Anna’s Hummingbird: Out of 20,000 Maryland hummingbirds seen, only 1 will be an Anna’s hummingbird.

Where in the state are Maryland hummingbirds seen?

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

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

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird: This is where, in Maryland, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Rufous Hummingbird: This is where, in Maryland, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Calliope Hummingbird: This is where, in Maryland, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Black-chinned Hummingbird: This is where, in Maryland, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Allen’s Hummingbird: This is where, in Maryland, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Mexican Violetear: This is where, in Maryland, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.
• Anna’s Hummingbird: This is where, in Maryland, current sightings of this hummingbird are being reported.

Read my article:
Maryland Hummingbird Migration

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions

Happy Hummingbird Watching!