New Jersey Hummingbirds: 8 Awesome Documented Species

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

Which species of New Jersey hummingbirds are found in the state?

Ruby-throated, Rufous, Calliope, Black-chinned, Allen’s, Broad-tailed, Broad-billed, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 8 species of hummingbirds documented as seen in New Jersey and listed in order of frequency seen.

Sighting Maps:

These 8 species of hummingbirds are documented as being seen in New Jersey by sighting maps, listed in the order of frequently seen:

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

These 8 hummingbird species found in New Jersey are further classified into three groups:
Year-round residents, Seasonal visitors, and Rare/Vagrant visitors.

Hummingbird:	Year-Round, Seasonal, Rare/Vagrant
Ruby-throated	Seasonal
Rufous	Rare/Vagrant
Calliope	Rare/Vagrant
Black-chinned	Rare/Vagrant
Allen’s	Rare/Vagrant
Broad-tailed	Rare/Vagrant
Broad-billed	Rare/Vagrant
Mexican Violetear	Rare/Vagrant

For more information on New Jersey hummingbirds:
Read my article:
New Jersey 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 New Jersey.

Year-Round
New Jersey Hummingbirds:

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

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

Some Rufous and Allen’s hummingbirds are occasionally seen in the middle of winter, however are not year-round residents to New Jersey.
All other hummingbirds migrate south to their wintering grounds during fall migration.

Seasonal
New Jersey Hummingbirds:

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only classified seasonal New Jersey hummingbird.
This hummingbird classification is defined as hummingbirds in New Jersey temporarily as part of their migratory pattern during spring and fall migration.

Some seasonal hummingbirds will remain in New Jersey for the entire winter by choice, injury, or old age.

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

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 the most commonly seen hummingbird in New Jersey.

Breeding map for Ruby-throated hummingbirds that breed and nest in New Jersey, reported by ebird.org

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

For more pictures and information on Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

Rare/Vagrant
New Jersey Hummingbirds:

Rufous, Calliope, Black-chinned, Allen’s, Broad-tailed, Broad-billed, and Mexican Violetear hummingbirds are the 7 New Jersey hummingbirds classified as rare or vagrant hummingbirds.

Top Google-ranked websites recognize one additional hummingbird, the Anna’s hummingbird, as New Jersey hummingbird, despite the fact there are eight species recorded as being seen in New Jersey on a national hummingbird sighting map.

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 New Jersey.

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 extremely rare vagrants to New Jersey.

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

According to New Jersey Audubon (NJA), (through branding practices), some rare sightings of Rufous hummingbirds overwinter in New Jersey, however most migrate south for the winter.

Many New Jersey hummingbird admirers leave hummingbird feeders up all winter long to provide life-nourishing nectar to the Rufous hummingbird, who are sometimes seen over-wintering in this state. 

See the current sighting map of Rufous hummingbirds in New Jersey.

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.
Most travel all the way south to winter in Mexico making them extremely rare vagrants to New Jersey.

See the current sighting map of the Calliope hummingbird in New Jersey.

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 lives across the Western United States, Mexico, and Canada.
They travel south to winter in Mexico and are extremely rare vagrant hummingbirds to New Jersey.

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

For more pictures and information on Black-chinned 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 and southern California, making them extremely rare vagrant hummingbirds to New Jersey.

According to eBird.org, there are rare documented occasions of Allen’s hummingbirds overwintering in New Jersey.

Many New Jersey hummingbird admirers leave hummingbird feeders up all winter long to provide life-nourishing nectar to the Allen’s hummingbird, who are sometimes seen over-wintering in this state. 

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

For more pictures and information on Allen’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 New Jersey.

See the current sighting map of Broad-tailed hummingbirds in New Jersey.

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 New Jersey’s location in the Eastern United States, Broad-billed hummingbirds are extremely rare.

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

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 an extremely rare accidental vagrant to New Jersey.

See the current sighting map of Mexican Violetear hummingbirds in New Jersey.

For more pictures and information on Mexican Violetear hummingbirds.

Which New Jersey hummingbirds are most frequently seen in the state?

The most frequently seen New Jersey hummingbird is the Ruby-throated hummingbird, followed by the Rufous hummingbird in a very distant second place.

New Jersey hummingbirds listed in order of frequency seen:

Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 98.8% of all hummingbirds seen in New Jersey are Ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Out of 10,000 New Jersey hummingbirds seen, 9,881 will be a Ruby-throated hummingbird.

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

Calliope Hummingbird: 0.19% of all hummingbirds seen in New Jersey is the Calliope hummingbird.
Out of 10,000 New Jersey hummingbirds seen, only 19 will be a Calliope hummingbird.

Black-chinned Hummingbird: 0.11% of all hummingbirds seen in New Jersey are Black-chinned hummingbirds.
Out of 10,000 New Jersey hummingbirds seen, only 11 will be a Black-chinned hummingbird.

Allen’s Hummingbird: 0.08% of all hummingbirds seen in New Jersey are Allen’s hummingbirds.
Out of 10,000 New Jersey hummingbirds seen, only 8 will be an Allen’s hummingbird.

Broad-tailed Hummingbird: 0.06% of all hummingbirds seen in New Jersey are Broad-tailed hummingbirds.
Out of 10,000 New Jersey hummingbirds seen, only 6 will be broad-tailed hummingbirds.

Broad-billed Hummingbird: Out of 82,895 New Jersey hummingbirds documented on sighting maps in 2023, only 9 were of the Broad-billed hummingbird.
Click the link to see current documented sightings:
Broad-billed hummingbird sightings in New Jersey

Mexican Violetear Hummingbird: Out of 82,895 New Jersey hummingbirds documented on sighting maps in 2023, only 1 was a Mexican Violetear hummingbird.
Click the link to see current documented sightings:
Mexican Violetear hummingbird sightings in New Jersey

Anna’s hummingbird: There are no New Jersey sightings of Anna’s hummingbird on the eBird.org sighting map, however, a top-ranked Google site lists Anna’s hummingbird as a New Jersey hummingbird.
Click the link to see current documented sightings:
Anna’s hummingbird sightings in New Jersey

Where in the state are New Jersey hummingbirds seen?

Hummingbirds are seen in New Jersey throughout the state.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are seen throughout the entirety of the state, while others are only seen in specific limited areas of New Jersey.

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

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

Read my article:
New Jersey Hummingbird Migration

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions