Delaware sits right in the sweet spot between the chilly New England states and the sweltering southern states. Hummingbirds are drawn to the area all year long, so those living in the state are lucky enough to be able to see these magnificent birds at any time of year.
If you want to increase your chances, hang up a hummingbird feeder. Every single species on this list will visit feeders so you can get a good look at them as they flit and hover about.
Here is the list of species of hummingbirds in Delaware:
- Black-Chinned Hummingbird
- Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
- Allen’s Hummingbird
- Calliope Hummingbird
- Broad-Tailed Hummingbird
- Rufous Hummingbird
6 Types of Hummingbirds in Delaware
Hummingbirds visit every part of North America. There are 16 species that are native to North America. Here are the ones you might find in Delaware:
1. Black-Chinned Hummingbird
- Scientific name: Archilochus alexandri
- Size: 3.5 inches long
- Weight: 0.1-.02 ounces
- Wingspan: 4.3 inches
Black-chinned hummingbirds get their name from the black throat with an iridescent purple base that males have. On the other hand, females have pale throats, along with white tips on their outer tail feathers.
Some hummingbirds stand out because of their brilliant coloring, but black-chinned ones are just a bit more subdued. They only have a thin strip of iridescent purple on the chin, but otherwise, they’re dull metallic Creek with a dull grayish-white best. Females have pale throats, and males have black throats. Both have black bills.
These tiny birds are frequent visitors to hummingbird feeders, where they dart in and out, taking deep sips. They also sit on top of telephone wires and treetops to survey their territory. If a wandering hummingbird tries to enter their territory, the resident bird will chase them off. Males can even dive up to 100 feet at a time to defend their territory and show off to females during breeding time.
They live anywhere they can find a safe spot to nest, which makes them generalists. They might live in a forest, a desert, or in urban shrubs. Recent surveys show that their range has been shrinking, with populations in Louisiana and Wyoming becoming threatened.
Breeding season starts in the early spring, and they build their nests in April and May, with a second nesting period in July. The males court the females with dramatic diving displays, and they breed throughout western North America. They’ll also visit the Gulf Coast during the winter. They nest in the spring in western North America and are one of the more common hummingbirds to find in their native range.
These are frequent visitors to feeders, and they’ll snag any insects they find nearby, including ants that hang out on your feeder. They also eat the sap from flowers.
Hang a feeder in your yard to increase your chances of seeing them, and plant their favorite foods, including tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca), scarlet larkspur (Delphinium cardinale), and desert ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens).
When Do They Arrive In and Leave Delaware?
Black-chinned hummingbirds are the second most common species in Delaware, next to ruby-throated. Still, they aren’t very common and only a few are positively identified each year.
2. Ruby Throated Hummingbird
- Scientific name: Archilochus colubris
- Size: 2.8-3.5 inches long
- Weight: 0.1-.02 ounces
- Wingspan: 3.1-4.3 inches
Say “hello” to the most common – by far – hummingbird in all of Delaware. In fact, this is the only breeding hummingbird in the eastern part of North America, and the only non-migratory hummingbird in many eastern states.
The male birds are easy to identify by their bright red throats. If you notice a bird that looks somewhat like they might be a ruby-throated hummingbird, but the throat looks dark red, it’s likely just because the feathers aren’t in good light. Wait until the sunlight hits them, and you’ll see that shining bright throat.
Otherwise, these birds are emerald or golden-green on their backs and grayish-white on the underside. The beaks are black.
These bold birds are frequent visitors to feeders and if you have the chance to watch their antics, take it. They are incredibly agile. They can stop instantly in the air, hover up, down, side-to-side, and backward. Not only do they feed at feeders and in tubular flowers, but they’ll also snatch insects out of the air or from webs.
These generalists live in parks, gardens, backyards, meadows, fields, forests, and woodlands.
They fly away in the fall to winter in Central America and they actually fly across the Gulf of Mexico in one single flight without stopping. Very impressive!
When Do They Arrive In and Leave Delaware?
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the most common hummingbirds in Delaware. You can see them most often during the summer in Delaware, but they’re usually around from March to October.
3. Allen’s Hummingbird
- Scientific name: Selasphorus sasin
- Size: 3.5 inches long
- Weight: 0.1 ounces
- Wingspan: 4.3 inches
With its bold, copper-orange throat and sides and green back, it’s easy to spot these cheerful-looking hummingbirds. They love to flit from flower to feeder and they snatch insects from the air as they fly.
They live in the chaparral of coastal regions from California to Southern Oregon, but these petite fliers are hardy travelers. They fly from their breeding ground all the way down to southern Mexico, where they hang out during the non-breeding season. They stay in Southern California year-round, as well.
Once in a while, they’ll head out along the Gulf Coast and may end up as far east as Florida.
They’ll eat at hummingbird feeders but they also love flowers and will dine on insects.
The females nest and raise their young from February to August, though non-migratory birds will nest in California from October through June.
When Do They Arrive In and Leave Delaware?
Look for this bright bird during the winter along the coast of Delaware. They’re a vagrant species and have only been spotted a handful of times.
4. Calliope Hummingbird
- Scientific name: Selasphorus calliope
- Size: 2.8-3.9 inches long
- Weight: 0.07-0.1 ounces
- Wingspan: 4.3 inches
Calliope hummingbirds are rare in Delaware, but you might get lucky and see one of these non-natives visit any area of the state. They’re far more common in the Pacific Northwest, California, parts of the west, and Canada, however.
They breed in western Canada, Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and parts of Utah and they spend the non-breeding season in Mexico.
The males of these beautiful birds have magenta feathers on their throats and both females and males have iridescent green feathers on their backs. The male courts the female by diving in an acrobatic u-shape while making a buzzing sound with his tail feathers. They breed from April to June.
While they will eat from feeders, they tend to be a bit shyer than some other hummingbirds. They aren’t afraid of other birds, though. They’re even known to chase away red-tailed hawks.
They’ll eat the sap from flowers, but they’re also fond of the sap on trees left by sapsuckers and they’ll also eat insects and spiders.
When Do They Arrive In and Leave Delaware?
These tiny birds, the smallest hummingbirds in North America, are extremely rare in Delaware and might appear at any time of year.
5. Broad-Tailed Hummingbird
- Scientific name: Selasphorus platycercus
- Size: 3.3-3.8 inches long
- Weight: 0.13 ounces
- Wingspan: 5.25 inches
The broad-tailed hummingbird is easy to confuse with the ruby-throated hummingbird. They look very similar.
These birds mostly live throughout the Rocky Mountains in high mountain meadows. Because they live in regions that experience hot days and cold nights, they’ve adapted by slowing their heart rate and lowering their body temperature at night and then ramping back up during the day when the sun rises.
They love to visit feeders or visit pendulous flowers to suck the nectar. Watch out, though. They’re extremely aggressive and will chase off any birds that come into their area.
When Do They Arrive In and Leave Delaware?
As with most other vagrant hummingbirds, they might appear at any time, so keep your eyes peeled.
6. Rufous Hummingbird
- Scientific name: Selasphorus rufus
- Size: 2.8-3.5 inches long
- Weight: 0.1-.02 ounces
- Wingspan: 4.3 inches
Rufous means “reddish” and that’s what these birds are. When the sunlight hits them, they glow like a lump of burning coal, with a reddish back and a vivid red throat. The females have a little bit of green on their tails and flanks, plus a little spot of orange on their throats.
Even though these birds might just be visiting an area as they migrate, they’re fierce defenders of the area they are in. They will tirelessly chase off any hummingbird that dares come near. They’ll even chase off bigger birds of other species and they’ll dive-bomb humans who come too close to their feeder or nest.
Like ruby-throated hummingbirds, they’re incredibly agile and will feed from feeders and tubular flowers, as well as snatch insects from the air or spider webs. They live in backyards, forests, meadows, and parks.
In the spring, they leave for their breeding grounds on the west coast where they stay from April to July.
When Do They Arrive In and Leave Delaware?
These hummingbirds are rare in Delaware and are nearly threatened. They arrive in the state during the fall, and they leave around January.
How to Attract Hummingbirds
To attract hummingbirds to your yard, pick feeders that have a little perch so you can observe them holding still as well as in flight.
Contrary to common belief, the feeder doesn’t have to be red. These birds don’t care about the color, they just want a nice meal. You can grab a beautiful feeder with perches from Bolite. Don’t die the nectar, either. Clear nectar is totally fine.
You can also use pre-made nectar to attract them. Just be sure to change the nectar frequently and wash the feeder out with hot water and soap. When it’s really hot, you should change your feeder daily. During cooler weather, once a week is fine.
Feeders left uncleaned develop a mold that can kill hummingbirds.
You should also plant stuff like firebush, fuchsia, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, and powder puff trees. Hummingbirds love these.
Other Species of Birds in Delaware:
Woodpeckers in Delaware
Owls in Delaware
