Hummingbirds in the Southeast: Species, Seasons, and Winter Surprises
Most of the Southeast has exactly one hummingbird, and for a long time that was the whole story. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrives in spring, nests through summer, gathers along the Gulf in autumn, and vanishes across the water.
Hummingbirds in the Southwest: Species, Seasons, and Gardening
The desert Southwest is the hummingbird capital of the United States. Two states dominate the all-time lists, with Texas holding the longest at nineteen recorded species and Arizona just behind. But Arizona is where you actually see them
Black-chinned Hummingbird: Identification, Range, and Behavior
The Black-chinned Hummingbird is the West’s great generalist. While other hummingbirds specialize, tied to a coastline or a mountain range or a particular kind of desert, this one turns up almost everywhere: in arid canyons, along river bottoms, in mountain forests, and in suburban backyards from southern British Columbia to Texas. It is one of the most widespread hummingbirds in western North America, and one of the least fussy.
Hummingbirds in the Rocky Mountains: Species, Altitude, and Gardening
In the Rockies, hummingbird season is short, intense, and governed almost entirely by altitude. Birds arrive late, breed fast, and leave early, squeezing an entire nesting cycle into the brief window when high-country meadows are in flower. They do it in a place where the temperature can drop below freezing on a July night.
Hummingbirds in California: Species, Seasons, and Gardening
Anna’s Hummingbird lives here all year and does not leave. Costa’s stays put in parts of the south. And Allen’s Hummingbird has split into two populations: one that still flies to Mexico each winter, and one that has stopped bothering and now breeds in Los Angeles gardens twelve months a year. In a state with a Mediterranean climate, mild winters, and gardens that flower in January, the ancient pressure to fly south has eased considerably.
Hummingbirds in the Pacific Northwest: Species, Timing, and Gardening
The Pacific Northwest is one of the best places in North America to be a hummingbird gardener, and one of the few places on the continent where you can watch a hummingbird in the snow.
Types of Hummingbirds: A Field Guide to North American Species
Somewhere between 300 and 360 species of hummingbird live in the Americas, but you do not need to know all of them to identify the one hovering at your feeder. North of Mexico the list is far shorter and very learnable.