Many people associate hummingbirds with warm weather, and Alaska with cold weather. They would assume that means there are no hummingbirds in Alaska, but that’s not true! Despite a cooler climate and being very far north, there are actually a few species of hummingbird regularly seen in Alaska.
4 Hummingbirds in Alaska
Based on the range maps of authoritative sources like allaboutbirds.org and ebird.org, we’ve put together a list of hummingbirds that can be seen in the state of Alaska. The most common hummingbird in Alaska is the Rufous hummingbird, followed by the Anna’s hummingbird and Costa’s hummingbird. For each species in this list you’ll find the species name, pictures and specifications about appearance, and where and when you may be able to spot them. We listed the more common species first, and the rarest last.
Stay tuned at the end of the article for tips on attracting hummingbirds to your yard.
Enjoy!
1. Rufous Hummingbird
Scientific name: Selasphorus rufus
The Rufous hummingbird holds the title of hummingbird with the most northern breeding range of southern Alaska. Males are orange all over with a white patch on the upper breast and an orange-red throat. Females are green with rusty patches along their sides and a speckled throat.
In the spring they migrate up through California, spend their summer in the north from Oregon to southern Alaska, then zip back down through the Rockies in the fall. The Rufous hummingbird actually makes one of the longest journeys of any bird, if measuring by body size.
Those that make the trip from wintering grounds in Mexico all the way up to Alaska travel 3,900 miles! Not too shabby for a bird that is only three inches long. (Check out this fun article about a Rufous that was tracked traveling from Tallahassee, Florida to Chenega Bay, Alaska).
Rufous hummingbirds are known for being very “feisty” when it comes to sharing feeders and chasing off other hummers. They will start to show up in April and most are gone by October. Look for them along the Gulf of Alaska, typically not straying much further north than Anchorage.
2. Anna’s Hummingbird
