There have been reports of nearly 30 different species of hummingbirds seen in the United States. Some of these are common and can be found in the U.S. every year, while some are rare or only accidental visitors. When it comes to hummingbirds, Mississippi is a pretty great state for catching some of those more rare species. We have found 2 species that are common or semi-common and 7 that are more rare. That’s a total of 9 species of hummingbirds that have visited Mississippi.
9 Hummingbirds in Mississippi
The 9 species of hummingbirds in Mississippi are the Ruby-throated hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Allen’s Hummingbird, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Broad-tailed hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird, and the Anna’s Hummingbird.
Based on the range maps of authoritative sources like allaboutbirds.org and ebird.org, we’ve put together a list of hummingbirds most likely to be seen in the state of Mississippi. 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.
Because most hummingbirds winter in Mexico and Central America, one of the best places in the U.S. to spot “accidental” hummingbirds that may have veered off course is along the Gulf of Mexico. Because of this, the southern coastal areas of Mississippi are a good location to try and spot the hummingbird species that are otherwise rare in the eastern U.S.
In fact, the majority of hummingbirds on our list would be considered very rare for central and northern parts of Mississippi. Based on eBird’s recorded sightings, Biloxi, Gulfport, Diamondhead, Bay St. Louis and Gautier are by far the best areas spot the more rare species.
Stay tuned at the end of the article for tips on attracting hummingbirds to your yard, and visit this article to find out when hummingbirds will be returning to your state.
Enjoy!
1. Ruby-throated hummingbird
Scientific name: Archilochus colubris
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the most common hummingbirds in the eastern half of the United States, including Mississippi. 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 them fly over the Gulf of Mexico in one non-stop flight! Ruby-throated hummingbirds are fairly easy to attract to backyards with nectar feeders and flowers.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds that have wintered further south will start to appear back in Mississippi in mid-March. They will spend the spring and summer and then be mostly gone by early November. However a small group of ruby-throats may stick around in the state all year along the Gulf coast.
2. 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 north through California, spend the summer in the Pacific northwest and Canada, then zip back south through the Rockies in the fall. While the rufous is considered a hummingbird of the western U.S., they are probably the second most commonly sighted species in the east after the ruby-throated hummingbird.
Recorded sightings in Mississippi are scattered throughout the state, but the majority occur along the coast. While I wouldn’t necessarily call them common, they are seen at least a few times each year. They can pop up any time of year, however you would be much more likely to see between November and March, and not much in the summer months.
3. 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.
While they are a bird of the west coast, they have been spotted in most states along the east coast at least once, including Mississippi where there have been a few sightings over the years. Nearly all the recorded sightings on eBird are in the far south, although a few occurred across central portions of the state in Jackson, Vicksburg and Meridian. Regardless of the location, sightings in Mississippi tend to occur between late fall and early spring.
4. Calliope Hummingbird
Scientific name: Selasphorus calliope
The calliope hummingbird winters in Central America, then mainly spends its breeding season in the Pacific Northwest and parts of western Canada. That’s 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 are considered rare on the east coast, however they have been spotted in Mississippi over the years. Sightings occur more commonly in the southern part of the state, however there has been a sighting as far north as Marshall. December through February is the most likely time to see them.
5. 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 for Mississippi but have been spotted there at least a few times. Like other “accidental” hummingbird visitors you’ll be most likely to see one during the winter months along the coastal area of the state.
6. Buff-bellied Hummingbird
Scientific name: Amazilia yucatanensis
The little buff-bellied hummingbird is a Mexican native that spends some time in the U.S., but just barely. Their more defining features are their red bill, bluish-green throat feathers and a light buffy colored belly. They also have rusty brown on their tail feathers, which is hard to see unless they fan them out.
Buff-bellied hummingbirds live along the eastern coast of Mexico, and the only place to reliably see them year-round in the U.S. is just over the border in the lower Rio Grande valley of Texas.
They come up further north during the winter where they can be found along the Gulf of Mexico from Texas to the Florida panhandle. Occasionally one will stray further north and end up in the southeastern states, but it is rare. Therefore your best shot to see one in Mississippi is in the far south.
7. 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 very uncommon in the eastern U.S., except along the Gulf Coast where they aren’t quite common but do show up somewhat regularly.
Therefore, your best chance to spot one would be along the very southern coastal area of the state. However there have also been a couple recorded sightings in the Jackson and Vicksburg area, so you never know!
8. 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 a reddish beak with a black tip. Females are a washed out green above and grayish below with the typical black beak.
While broad-billed hummingbirds are considered very rare outside of the southwestern U.S. they occasionally pop up in other states. I only saw one sighting recorded for Mississippi, right outside of Biloxi.
However, I decided to leave them on this list because sightings occur along the coast to the west in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Covington Louisiana, and to the east in Mobile, Daphne and Fairhope, Alabama. With that close of proximity, they must cross the border into Mississippi from time to time down near the Gulf.
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 regularly in a few of the western states, such as California and Washington.
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.
Anna’s are very uncommon on the east coast, but they do stray from time to time. There have been a few sightings in Mississippi over the years. Most occur along the southern coast, however there are also sightings in the middle of the state. As with most rare hummingbirds, the best time to spot Anna’s would be during the winter.
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.