Do you know Georgia’s 12 hummingbirds?

RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD (Immature Male)

Green Violet-ear – This species has been reported from time to time in Georgia, however, only one record of the species has been accepted by the Georgia Ornithological Society.  This bird was sighted in Thomasville.

The green violet-ear ranges from central Mexico southward through Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Columbia  and Ecuador.

Green-breasted Mango – This species has been documented only once in Georgia.

It can be found from Mexico southward through Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Columbia and Venezuela.

In the United States, the bird has also been located in North Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin.

Broad-billed – This species is an accidental winter visitor to the Peach State.

Broad-billed hummingbirds breed in southeastern Arizona southward to southern Mexico.

Although this species typically winters in Mexico, it has also been sighted in such places as South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Buff-bellied – This species has been documented only once in Georgia.

Its breeding range extends from the Yucatan Peninsula northward to Texas’ central Gulf Coast. The bird has also been seen in Arkansas and Florida.

Magnificent – This bird has been seen only twice ( St. Catherines Island and Winder) in Georgia.

This large hummingbird breeds in the mountainous regions of southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico southward to Central America.  Each year a few of these birds seem to wander widely. Reports of magnificent hummingbirds have also cropped up in Texas, Arkansas, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Alabama, and Colorado.

Ruby-throated -The ruby-throated hummingbird is a common spring and summer resident here. It is the only species of hummingbird known to nest east of the Mississippi River.  It nests throughout the state.

Most rubythroats leave the state by the end of October.  The majority of the ruby-throated hummingbirds seen in Georgia during the winter are spotted along the Georgia Coast and in Thomasville area.

Most ruby-throated hummingbirds winter from western Mexico and as far east as Panama.

Rubythroats  return to Georgia as early as late February in Southwest Georgia, however, most of us don’t see our first rubythroat of the spring until middle to late March – April.

Black-chinned – This species is a rare winter visitor throughout the entire state.

The breeding range for this species extends from southwestern British Columbia as far west as Texas.

Anna’s – With fewer than 10 reports of this species being seen in the Peach State during the past 50 years, Anna’s hummingbird is considered an accidental winter visitor here.

The breeding range for Anna’s hummingbird includes the states of Arizona, California, Washington and Oregon.

This bird winters along the Pacific coast from Washington to northwest Mexico. It also winters in Arizona.

Calliope – The calliope hummingbird is the smallest bird in North America measuring only 2 3/4 – 3 1/4 inches long.  This petite hummingbird is an accidental winter visitor throughout Georgia.

The calliope breeds in the mountains of central British Columbia and southwestern Alberta south to northern Baja California.

Calliopes normally winter in Mexico.

Broad-tailed – The broad-tailed hummingbird is another western hummingbird that is an accidental winter visitor to Georgia.

Broadtails breed in east-central California and Nevada north to Montana and Wyoming, as well extreme western Texas and Mexico.

This species winters from central Mexico southward.

Rufous – The rufous is considered an uncommon winter visitor throughout the state. It is the most commonly seen hummingbird seen in Georgia during the winter.  There are typically at least 50-75 reports of this bird in Georgia annually.

The rufous hummingbird has the northern-most breeding range of any hummingbird.  Its breeding range extends from southern Alaska through Washington, Oregon, western Montana and northern Idaho.

It winters throughout much of Mexico. However,  the rufous hummingbird wanders more than any other hummer.  It has been reported from all of the states east of the Rocky Mountains as well as most Canadian provinces.

Allen’s – This bird is an accidental visitor to our state.

Allen’s hummingbird breeds along the California Coast and winters in Mexico.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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