There have been reports of as many as 27 different species of hummingbirds seen in the United States. Some of these are common can be found every year, while some are rare or accidental visitors. When it comes to hummingbirds in Arizona, we have found 11 species that are common or semi-common, and 6 that have been spotted in Arizona more than once but are considered rare. That’s a total of 17 species of hummingbirds in Arizona, making Arizona one of the best states to feed and spot hummingbirds in America. Sharing a border with Mexico gives Arizona the advantage of occasionally attracting some hummingbirds that aren’t seen in any other state.
17 Hummingbirds in Arizona
The 17 species of hummingbirds in Arizona are the Rivoli’s Hummingbird, Blue-throated Mountain Gem, Lucifer Hummingbird, Ruby-throated hummingbird, Broad-tailed hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Anna’s Hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Allen’s Hummingbird, White-eared Hummingbird, Mexican Violetear (aka Green Violetear), Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Berylline Hummingbird, Costa’s Hummingbird, and the Plain-capped Starthroat.
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 Arizona. For each species in this list you’ll find the species name, pictures of what it looks like, specifications about appearance, and where and when you may be able to spot them. We will list the 11 common species first, and the 6 less common ones last.
Stay tuned at the end of the article for tips on attracting hummingbirds to your yard.
Enjoy!
1. Rivoli’s Hummingbird
Scientific name: Eugenes fulgens
The Rivoli’s hummingbird was formerly known as the “magnificent hummingbird”. Males have a dark purple head with a brighter teal colored throat. Their body is green and brown. Often they can appear overall dark in certain light. Females do not share this coloration and are green above and white below. They are slightly larger than most hummingbirds seen in the U.S., with a longer bill. They are mainly found in Mexico and like shady canyons and mountainous forests.
Arizona is one of the only states where Rivoli’s are regular visitors. They are more commonly seen south of Tucson, or in the Coconino, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto national forests. They visit during the spring and summer then return to Mexico in the fall.
2. Blue-throated Mountain Gem
Scientific name: Lampornis clemenciae
The blue-throated mountain gem is the largest hummingbird species to nest in the United States. Both sexes have two white stripes on the face, a green back and a gray breast. Males have a bright blue throat. In the wild, look for them along flower-lined streams.
Look for them in mountainous areas. The most common spots in Arizona are Mt. Lemmon, Mt. Graham, Millers Peak and the “sky islands”. They mainly only come to the U.S. during the breeding season however may stay into the winter if they find a particularly good feeding station.
3. Lucifer Hummingbird
Scientific name: Calothorax lucifer
The male lucifer hummingbird sports a magenta-purple throat that extends down onto their upper chest and flares out at the sides. They also have a bill that is curved slightly downwards and a forked tail. Females are green above, pale below with cinnamon on their sides and a cinnamon patch on the upper tail feathers. These hummingbirds are hard to find in the U.S. and are highly sought-after by birders. Their preferred habitat is canyons and scrub with agave and cacti.
Lucifer hummingbirds visit Arizona between March and September, and are only found in the far southeastern corner of the state such as Guindani canyon, Ash Canyon bird sanctuary and east whitetail canyon.
4. Ruby-throated hummingbird
Scientific name: Archilochus colubris
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are extremely common in the eastern half of the United States, but less so in Arizona. They have a green back and white underparts. Males have a ruby red throat that can look black in certain lighting. Each spring they enter the country in droves from their wintering grounds in Central America. Many of those bound for the eastern states cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single flight.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are seen only sporadically throughout Arizona and are considered rare for the state.
5. Broad-tailed hummingbird
Scientific name: Selasphorus platycerus
Broad-tailed hummingbirds love the mountains and breed at elevations up to 10,500 feet. Males have a rosey-magenta colored throat. Females have some green spotting on their throat and cheeks, and buffy colored sides.
Broad-tailed hummingbirds are short term visitors in the U.S. so look for them between May and August in meadows and forest clearings in Arizona’s many national forests and mountain parks.
6. Black-chinned Hummingbird
Scientific name: Archilochus alexandri
Black-chinned hummingbirds migrate north from Mexico and Central America each year and breed in the western United States. Males throat color looks plain black in most light, however they do have a small strip of purple feathers along the bottom that is sometimes visible. Females appear like most hummingbird females green above and pale below with a plain throat. They are widespread among many habitats from deserts to mountain forests and like to perch on bare branches.
Look for black-chinned hummingbirds throughout Arizona from spring to fall. However in southwestern portions of the state they may just migrate through.
7. Calliope Hummingbird
Scientific name: Selasphorus calliope
The calliope hummingbird mainly spends its breeding season in the Pacific Northwest and parts of western Canada, but can be spotted in Arizona during the spring and fall migration. This is an impressively far migration, especially considering the calliope is the smallest bird in the United States! Males have a unique throat pattern of magenta stripes that fork down on the sides. Females are plain with some green spotting on the throat and peachy tinted underparts.
Calliope Hummingbirds only pass through Arizona during migration. Some of the areas they are most commonly recorded at are the Grand Canyon, Coconino national forest and in the southeast around Tuscon.
8. Rufous Hummingbird
Scientific name: Selasphorus rufus
Rufous hummingbirds are known for being very “feisty” when it comes to sharing feeders and chasing off other hummers. Males are orange all over with a white patch on the upper breast and an orange-red throat. Females are green with rusty patches and a speckled throat. In the spring they migrate up through California, then summer in the Pacific northwest and Canada, then zip back down through the Rockies in the fall.
Rufous hummingbirds just pass through Arizona during migrations. Keep an eye out for them in the spring and late summer. They seem to be most commonly spotted in the state during August and September.
9. Anna’s Hummingbird
Scientific name: Calypte anna
Anna’s actually stay in the U.S. all year within most of their range, however you’ll only find them in a few of the western states, including Arizona. The green of their feathers tends to be a bit brighter and more iridescent than most others, and even their chest and belly are sprinkled with emerald feathers. Males have rosy-pink throats and those colorful feathers extend up onto their forehead. They are happy in backyards and love gardens and eucalyptus trees.
Anna’s are found throughout most of Arizona, including Phoenix and Tucson, but tend to be absent in the northeastern corner of the state. In more southeastern parts of the state they may only stick around during the winter.
10. Broad-billed Hummingbird
Scientific name: Cynanthus latirostris
The only two states in the U.S. where the broad-billed hummingbird is known to breed are Arizona and New Mexico. Males are hard to mistake with their purpleish-blue throat and blueish-green belly. They also have an orange beak with a black tip. Females are a washed out green above and grayish below with the typical black beak.
The main sightings of broad-billed hummingbirds are in the far southeastern corner of the state, in areas like Patagonia and Miracle Valley.
11. Allen’s Hummingbird
Scientific name: Selasphorus sasin
These tiny guys fly all the way from Central America to breed along the Pacific Coast in California each year. They have very similar coloring to the Rufous hummingbird so it can be tricky distinguishing the two. Allen’s males are orange with a green back and orangey-red throat. Females have a speckled throat with dull green back and brownish-orange flanks. They migrate quite early compared to other hummingbirds, heading for California in January.
Allen’s are rare in Arizona but you may spot them during migration, especially in summer around July or August.
12. White-eared Hummingbird
Scientific name: Basilinna leucotis
The white-eared hummingbird is at home in Mexico and Central America, however occasionally they pop up in the southwestern U.S. Both females and males have a dark head with a large white stripe that starts above the eye, a green body and dark wings. Males have an orange beak with black tip, a blueish-green throat and some purple on the face which can look black a lot of the time.
White-eared hummingbirds are a rare, “accidental” visitor in Arizona. Some places where they have been spotted include Mt. Lemmon, Miller Peak and the Chiricahua mountains.
13. Mexican Violetear (aka Green Violetear)
Scientific name: Colibri thalassinus
The larger Mexican violetear is only common in Mexico and Central America, however they have been spotted in several states in the U.S., especially in the eastern half of the state of Texas. They are larger hummingbirds with an emerald green body, dark wings, and a patch of iridescent purple across their cheek.
The Mexican violetear is considered quite rare in Arizona, but it is not impossible that one may stray there from time to time.
14. Violet-crowned Hummingbird
Scientific name: Leucolia violiceps
Common in Mexico, this little beauty has been known to occasionally cross the border into the southwestern U.S. They have a dark gray back, pure white front, purple cap on their head and an orange beak with black tip.
The violet-crowned hummingbird has mainly been spotted in the far southeastern corner of Arizona. Multiple sightings have been made around Tucson, near Patagonia lake state park, and around the Ramsey canyon preserve.
15. Berylline Hummingbird
Scientific name: Saucerottia beryllina
The berylline hummingbird has very woodsy colors with a fully green head and chest, brown back, and underparts that are either light or buffy. These Mexican hummingbirds have made just a few appearances in the U.S. in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico.
Berylline hummers are rare in Arizona but have been occasionally spotted in Madera Canyon, Ramsey Canyon Preserve and around Crystal Cave.
16. Costa’s Hummingbird
Scientific name: Calypte costae
Male Costa’s are known for their deep purple faces. They have a splash of purple on their foreheads as well as their throat, with purple feathers flaring out on both sides like a mustache. Females are green above with white below. Costa’s are compact and compared to other hummingbirds have slightly shorter wings and tail. They can be found year-round in Baja and far southern California.
Costa’s may stick around all year in the southwestern corner of the state, and in other areas may be found during the spring-summer breeding season. They are much more common in the southwestern half of the state.
17. Plain-capped Starthroat
Scientific name: Heliomaster constantii
The plain-capped starthroat mainly lives along the western coast of Mexico and South America, but occasionally crosses the southern border into Arizona. They are a larger hummingbird with a noticeably long bill. Other good identifying features are the dark stripe through the eye and white patch on the rump. Males throats usually appears blackish but actually are a darker red.
They have been spotted in Miller Canyon, Madera Canyon, Sycamore Canyon, Portal and Patagonia. However they are considered rare in the U.S. and are not seen every year.
Melanie is an environmental scientist, birdwatcher, and amateur photographer. She’s been a birding hobbyist for years and loves feeding and learning about birds of all types. Over the years, Melanie has identified more than 250 bird species, with sightings of the Atlantic Puffin, Hawaiian Goose, and Arctic Tern among her most cherished.