You don’t have to be an avid bird-watcher to spot hummingbirds. They’re so easy to identify because they have such interesting and unique flight patterns. Plus, their bright, jewel-like colors really sparkle in the sunlight.
The females are usually less colorful than the males, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t beautiful in their own right.
These bold birds will flock to your feeder if you keep it filled and clean, so you have a chance to see up to four different hummingbirds.
Here is the list of species of hummingbirds in Kentucky:
- Rufous Hummingbird
- Black-Chinned Hummingbird
- Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
- Mexican Violetear
- Anna’s Hummingbird
5 Types of Hummingbirds in Kentucky
Hummingbirds visit every part of North America, but not every state sees all 16 of the species. Kentucky is visited by four.
1. 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 Kentucky?
These hummingbirds are considered rare and threatened in Kentucky. They’re only rarely spotted and usually in the summer.
2. 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. Females, on the other hand, have pale throats, along with white tips on their outer tail feathers.
Some hummingbirds stand out because of their brilliant coloring, but black-chinned are just a bit more subdued. They only have a thin strip of iridescent purple on the chin, but otherwise, they’re dull metallic green with a dull grayish-white breast. Females have pale throats and males have black throats. Both have black bills.
These petite 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 original 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 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 Kentucky?
Black-chinned hummingbirds are accidental or rare in Kentucky from spring until fall.
3. 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 hummingbird in Kentucky. The male birds are easy to identify by their bright red throats. If you notice a bird that looks somewhat like 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 snatch insects out of the air or from webs, as well.
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 Kentucky?
This is the most common hummingbird in Kentucky and you can find them almost all year long. They arrive in April and stick around through November.
4. Mexican Violetear
- Scientific name: Colibri thalassinus
- Size: 5.25 inches long
- Weight: 0.21 ounces
- Wingspan: 4.25 inches
Formerly known as the green violet-eared hummingbird, these are large for hummingbirds and can be nearly five-and-a-half inches long. Combined with their bright green bodies and violet streaks on the chest and cheeks, it’s easy to spot them as they flit about pine forests and roadsides.
They will visit birdfeeders, but they like to stay hidden as they eat, so if your feeder is out in the open they might not hang out much.
Their populations are concentrated in the southwest US and all of Mexico down through parts of Central America, but these birds are wanderers. You’ll find them as far north as Canada and occasionally across the midwest and Atlantic Coast. They also visit Kentucky now and then.
When Do They Arrive In and Leave Kentucky?
Look for these pretty hummingbirds in Kentucky during the summer. They’re extremely rare and have only been confirmed in the state a few times.
5. Anna’s Hummingbird
- Scientific name: Calypte anna
- Size: 3.9 inches long
- Weight: 0.1-0.2 ounces
- Wingspan: 4.7 inches
If you live along the Pacific coast, then no doubt you’ve seen the stunning Anna’s hummingbird. They’re one of the most common species in the region and they live there all year long. They’ll also travel inland a bit during the breeding season and some will migrate to Mexico during the non-breeding season.
Look for the greenish-gray birds with iridescent feathers. Males have reddish-pink chins and heads.
When they’re breeding, the males will swoop down up to 130 feet, making a buzzing noise with their tail feathers in an attempt to impress the females.
These birds are bold and curious and will come right up to humans to check them out. They’ll eat at feeders, snatch insects, and suck the sap of tubular flowers.
When Do They Arrive In and Leave Kentucky?
If you live in Kentucky, you’ll be lucky to see these birds. They’ve only been spotted a few times and only in the past few years.
How to Attract Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are a New World group of birds, meaning they only live in South, Central, and North America. Within North America, there are 16 native species of hummingbirds and a few visiting species.
If you want a sure-fire experience of drawing birds to your yard, try hanging up a hummingbird feeder. Hummingbirds travel far and wide to find good food and they’ll stop by and eat the food in your feeder, giving you an exciting show in the process.
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.
Some experts also recommend that you put your feeders away in regions that get cold during the winter so you don’t accidentally entice tropical birds to stick around during the winter.
You should also plant stuff like firebush, fuchsia, honeysuckle, cardinal flowers, fire pink, wild bergamot, columbine, red buckeye, trumpet vine, and powder puff trees. Hummingbirds love these.
Other species of birds in Kentucky:
Owls in Kentucky
Woodpeckers in Kentucky
