If you’ve ever spotted a tiny, jewel-colored bird hovering at your flowers, you’ve likely encountered one of Ohio’s most enchanting visitors. While the Ruby-throated Hummingbird dominates Ohio’s skies during warmer months, seven other species occasionally make surprise appearances across the state.
Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just starting to notice these remarkable creatures at your feeders, understanding which hummingbirds in Ohio you might encounter will enhance every sighting.
Ohio’s location in the eastern United States makes it prime territory for the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, but the state’s position along migration routes means patient observers might spot western species blown off course or vagrant visitors exploring new territories.
From the common to the extraordinarily rare, here’s your complete guide to identifying each hummingbird species that’s been documented in the Buckeye State.
1. Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the only hummingbird species that regularly breeds in Ohio, making it the bird you’ll most likely see at your feeders from late April through September. These tiny powerhouses measure just 3-3.75 inches long and weigh less than a nickel, yet they complete an incredible migration journey that includes a non-stop 500-mile flight across the Gulf of Mexico.
Males are instantly recognizable by their brilliant ruby-red throat patch, called a gorget, which flashes iridescent in direct sunlight but can appear black in shadow. Their backs shimmer emerald green, and they sport a forked tail. Females lack the red throat, instead displaying a white breast and throat with green backs and rounded tails with white tips on the outer feathers. Juvenile males resemble females but may show streaking on the throat as they develop their adult plumage.
Pro Tip: Ruby-throated males arrive in Ohio 7-10 days before females, typically in late April. If you see your first hummingbird of the season, it’s almost certainly a male scouting territory before the females arrive to nest.
These hummingbirds prefer woodland edges, gardens, and meadows with abundant nectar sources. They’re particularly attracted to tubular red flowers like bee balm, cardinal flower, and trumpet vine, though they’ll visit flowers of many colors. According to the National Audubon Society, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds also consume small insects and spiders for protein, often catching them in mid-air or gleaning them from foliage.
In Ohio, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds typically arrive in late April to early May and depart by late September to early October. Males leave first, followed by females and juveniles.
During their stay, females build tiny cup-shaped nests about the size of a walnut shell, camouflaging them with lichen and binding them with spider silk. If you’re interested in what attracts hummingbirds to your yard, providing nectar-rich flowers and clean feeders is essential.
2. Rufous Hummingbird
The Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) ranks as Ohio’s second-most-likely hummingbird sighting, though it remains quite rare. This western species occasionally appears in Ohio during fall migration, typically between late September and November, with most sightings occurring at feeders in October.
Male Rufous Hummingbirds are stunning, with bright orange-rufous plumage covering their backs, flanks, and tail. They sport an iridescent orange-red gorget that can appear fiery in sunlight. Females and immature birds are more challenging to identify, showing green backs with rufous flanks and some rufous at the base of the tail. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that female Rufous Hummingbirds are nearly identical to female Allen’s Hummingbirds, requiring expert examination to distinguish.
These aggressive little birds have one of the longest migration routes of any hummingbird, traveling from breeding grounds in Alaska and northwestern Canada to wintering areas in Mexico—a journey of nearly 4,000 miles. Some individuals take a different route in fall than in spring, heading down the Rocky Mountains and through the Great Plains, which explains their occasional appearance in Ohio.
Important Note: If you spot what appears to be a hummingbird at your feeder in late October or November after Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have departed, don’t immediately take down your feeders. You might be hosting a rare Rufous Hummingbird that needs fuel for its continued migration.
Rufous Hummingbirds measure 3.1-3.5 inches long and are known for their feisty temperament. Males are particularly territorial and will aggressively defend feeding territories even during migration. They prefer open habitats, mountain meadows, and forest edges in their normal range, but in Ohio, they’re most often spotted at backyard feeders and gardens with late-blooming flowers.
3. Black-chinned Hummingbird
The Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) is an extremely rare vagrant to Ohio, with only a handful of confirmed sightings in the state’s birding history. This western species breeds primarily from British Columbia south through California and east to Texas, making any Ohio appearance truly exceptional.
Male Black-chinned Hummingbirds closely resemble male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at first glance, which has likely led to some individuals being overlooked. However, the Black-chinned’s gorget is distinctly two-toned: the upper throat is velvety black, while a narrow band of iridescent purple borders the lower edge. This purple band is only visible in good light and from certain angles. The bird’s back is metallic green, similar to the Ruby-throated, but the Black-chinned often appears slightly duller.
Females and immatures present an even greater identification challenge, as they’re virtually indistinguishable from female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the field. They show green upperparts, whitish underparts, and lack any throat color. Expert birders look for subtle differences in bill length and tail shape, but definitive identification often requires in-hand examination or excellent photographs.
Black-chinned Hummingbirds measure 3.25-3.75 inches long and exhibit a distinctive wing-beat sound—a soft, low hum quite different from the Ruby-throated’s higher-pitched buzz. According to research from the Hummingbird Central, this difference in wing-beat frequency can actually help with identification when visual features are ambiguous.
In their normal range, Black-chinned Hummingbirds inhabit lowland deserts, riparian woodlands, and suburban gardens. They’re adaptable birds that have successfully colonized urban areas throughout the western United States. Any Ohio sighting would most likely occur during migration periods, particularly in fall when vagrant western hummingbirds occasionally wander eastward.
4. Calliope Hummingbird
The Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) holds the distinction of being North America’s smallest bird, measuring just 2.8-3.9 inches long and weighing only 2-3 grams. Despite its tiny size, this hardy species breeds in mountain meadows of the Pacific Northwest and undertakes an impressive migration to southern Mexico each winter. Sightings in Ohio are exceptionally rare, with only a few documented records.
Male Calliope Hummingbirds are unmistakable when seen well. Instead of a solid gorget, males display wine-red or magenta streaks radiating from the throat against a white background, creating a distinctive “whiskered” appearance.
Their backs are glossy green, and they have relatively short tails and wings. When the gorget feathers are compressed, the bird can appear to have a white throat with dark streaking, quite different from other hummingbird species.
Females and immature Calliope Hummingbirds are more subtly marked, with peachy or buffy flanks, green backs, and dark tails with white tips. They’re smaller and shorter-tailed than female Ruby-throated or Rufous Hummingbirds, which can aid identification. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology emphasizes that size comparison is tricky in the field, making the Calliope’s identification challenging without excellent views.
Key Insight: Calliope Hummingbirds have a unique courtship display where males perform U-shaped dives while producing a distinctive buzzing sound with their tail feathers. While you’re unlikely to witness this in Ohio, knowing this behavior helps understand the species‘ ecology.
These hummingbirds breed at high elevations, typically between 4,000 and 11,000 feet, in mountain meadows with abundant wildflowers. They’re strongly associated with willows, alders, and other shrubs near mountain streams.
Their migration route follows the Rocky Mountains, and most vagrants to eastern states appear during fall migration when young birds may wander off course. Similar to other different types of hummingbirds, Calliope Hummingbirds time their migration to coincide with peak wildflower blooms along their route.
5. Anna’s Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) is a western species that has dramatically expanded its range northward over the past several decades, now breeding as far north as British Columbia. However, it remains an extremely rare vagrant to Ohio, with only occasional documented sightings, typically during winter months when the species is most likely to wander.
Male Anna’s Hummingbirds are spectacular, with rose-red iridescent plumage covering the entire head and throat, extending onto the forehead and crown—a feature that distinguishes them from all other North American hummingbirds. Their backs are metallic green, and they have relatively stocky bodies compared to Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. The iridescence can appear dark or even blackish in poor light, but in direct sunlight, the head blazes with brilliant pink-red color.
Females lack the colorful head but often show a small patch of red feathers on the throat, appearing as scattered iridescent spots. They have green backs, grayish underparts, and are generally larger and stockier than female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. According to the Audubon Society, Anna’s Hummingbirds are among the most vocal hummingbird species, frequently giving scratchy, buzzy calls and complex songs.
These birds measure 3.9-4.3 inches long, making them noticeably larger than Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Unlike most hummingbird species, Anna’s Hummingbirds are year-round residents in much of their range, particularly along the Pacific Coast. This non-migratory behavior, combined with their adaptability to urban and suburban environments, has contributed to their range expansion.
In Ohio, any Anna’s Hummingbird sighting would be most likely during winter months, when the species occasionally wanders eastward. These winter vagrants often appear at feeders, as natural nectar sources are scarce. If you’re maintaining feeders for late-season visitors, you might be providing crucial support for a lost Anna’s Hummingbird trying to survive far from its normal range. Observers in Michigan and Pennsylvania have documented similar winter sightings in recent years.
6. Allen’s Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) is another western species that would represent an exceptional rarity in Ohio. This Pacific Coast specialist breeds in a narrow coastal strip from southern Oregon to southern California, with a separate non-migratory population in the Los Angeles area. Any Ohio record would likely involve a vagrant during fall migration.
Male Allen’s Hummingbirds are nearly identical to male Rufous Hummingbirds, showing bright orange-rufous plumage on the back, flanks, and tail, with an iridescent orange-red gorget. The primary distinguishing feature is the back color: male Allen’s have green backs, while male Rufous have rufous backs. However, some male Rufous Hummingbirds show green backs, making field identification extremely challenging even for experts.
Females and immature Allen’s Hummingbirds are essentially indistinguishable from female Rufous Hummingbirds in the field. Both show green backs with rufous flanks and similar tail patterns. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology notes that even in-hand measurements of wing and tail feather dimensions are needed for certain identification of females and immatures.
Common Mistake: Many birders assume any orange hummingbird east of the Rockies must be a Rufous. While Rufous is far more likely, Allen’s Hummingbird is possible, and distinguishing between them requires careful observation of back color in males or expert analysis of females.
These hummingbirds measure 3-3.5 inches long and share the Rufous Hummingbird’s aggressive temperament. Males perform spectacular courtship displays, climbing 100 feet in the air before diving at high speed while producing a loud, metallic trill with their tail feathers. In their normal range, Allen’s Hummingbirds inhabit coastal scrub, chaparral, and gardens, showing a strong preference for coastal fog belt habitats.
The migratory subspecies of Allen’s Hummingbird travels to Mexico for winter, while the sedentary subspecies remains year-round in Southern California. This complex migration pattern, combined with ongoing range expansion of the sedentary population, makes the species’ movements somewhat unpredictable. Any Ohio sighting would be remarkable and would require excellent documentation, including photographs, for acceptance by the state’s rare bird records committee.
7. Broad-billed Hummingbird
The Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) is a Mexican species that regularly reaches southeastern Arizona and occasionally southern Texas, making any Ohio sighting extraordinarily rare. This species has only been documented in Ohio a handful of times, typically at feeders during late fall or winter.
Male Broad-billed Hummingbirds are stunning and relatively easy to identify if seen well. They display dark blue-green plumage overall, with a brilliant blue throat and breast. The bill is bright red or orange-red with a black tip, a distinctive feature that gives the species its name. In certain lights, the bird can appear almost entirely dark, but the red bill is usually visible.
Females are more subdued, showing gray-green upperparts and grayish underparts with a white eye stripe. Their bills also show the characteristic red base with black tip, which is the best field mark for identifying females. According to the Hummingbirds Plus, female Broad-billed Hummingbirds have a more extensive white eye stripe than most other hummingbird species, creating a distinctive facial pattern.
These hummingbirds measure 3.1-3.9 inches long and inhabit desert canyons, riparian areas, and agave-dotted hillsides in their normal range. They’re particularly associated with sycamore-lined canyons in southeastern Arizona, where they’re common during summer months. The species has shown a tendency to wander northward and eastward in recent decades, with increasing reports from unexpected locations.
Any Broad-billed Hummingbird appearing in Ohio would likely be a young bird that became disoriented during its first migration. These vagrants often appear at feeders, as they provide reliable food sources when the bird is far from familiar habitat. Maintaining feeders into late fall and early winter, as some observers do for hummingbirds in Illinois and other neighboring states, could potentially support such a vagrant.
8. Mexican (Green) Violetear
The Mexican Violetear (Colibri thalassinus), also called the Green Violetear, is a tropical species that occasionally wanders north of its normal range in Mexico and Central America. Ohio has recorded a few sightings of this distinctive species, making it one of the rarest hummingbirds documented in the state.
Mexican Violetears are relatively large for hummingbirds, measuring 3.8-4.7 inches long, and are easy to identify if seen clearly. Both sexes are primarily glittering green overall, with a distinctive violet-blue patch extending from the ear coverts down the sides of the neck.
The breast shows a broad, glittering blue-violet band, and the tail is blue-green with a dark subterminal band. Unlike most North American hummingbirds, males and females are similarly plumaged.
The species’ large size, overall green coloration, and distinctive violet ear patches make it unmistakable. According to the Neotropical Birds Online, Mexican Violetears have a loud, persistent song consisting of repeated chip notes, quite different from the vocalizations of North American hummingbird species.
Key Insight: Mexican Violetears are highland species in their normal range, inhabiting mountain forests and edges from 6,000 to 14,000 feet elevation. This preference for high elevations may partially explain their wandering behavior, as they may follow mountain ranges northward during seasonal movements.
In their normal range, Mexican Violetears feed on nectar from a wide variety of flowers, showing particular fondness for Salvia species and other tubular flowers. They also catch small insects and are known to defend feeding territories aggressively, despite their relatively large size making them less maneuverable than smaller hummingbird species.
Ohio sightings of Mexican Violetears have typically occurred during summer months, suggesting that wandering individuals may move northward during the breeding season. Any sighting would be a significant event for Ohio’s birding community and would require thorough documentation.
These rare visitors sometimes remain at feeders for extended periods, giving multiple observers the opportunity to see them and contributing valuable data about this species’ vagrancy patterns. Similar vagrant patterns have been observed in Connecticut and other northeastern states.
Whether you’re hoping to spot Ohio’s common Ruby-throated Hummingbird or dreaming of encountering one of the state’s rare vagrant species, maintaining quality feeders with fresh nectar and planting native flowers will maximize your chances.
Keep your feeders up through October, as late-season vagrants are most likely to appear after the Ruby-throated population has departed. Each hummingbird sighting in Ohio is a privilege, and careful observation might just reveal one of these exceptional rarities visiting your backyard.
