Discover When Hummingbirds Are Set to Flee Missouri (And Where They Go)

Hummingbirds are a fascinating bird species, popular for their appearance and behaviors. Below, you’ll learn more about the hummingbirds in Missouri. This includes which species you’re most likely to see in the state as well as their migration patterns.

Ready to learn about hummingbirds in Missouri? Let’s dive in!

1. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common species of hummingbird in Missouri. Missouri helps make up the westernmost border of this hummingbird’s breeding habitat in the United States. As a result, the species lives throughout the state during the spring and summer months.

During the breeding season, ruby-throated hummingbirds in Missouri live in deciduous woodlands. These are forests comprised of trees such as oak, beech, and elm. However, their chosen areas can vary greatly, with these hummingbirds also living in meadows and orchards. They are a common backyard species that takes well to feeders designed with hummingbirds in mind. 

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are a medium- to long-distance migrant species. They breed in Missouri and the surrounding areas. Then, toward the end of the summer months, they will begin their migration toward southern Mexico and Central America. Some hummingbirds may winter in the southernmost tip of Floridia’s peninsula. 

2. Rufous Hummingbird

The rufous hummingbird is not a common species of hummingbird in Missouri. However, according to the Missouri Department of Conservation, both the rufous hummingbird and Anna’s hummingbird may occasionally appear in the state. 

Rufous hummingbirds breed in the northwestern region of North America. This includes Alaska, the western coast of Canada, and states such as Washington. They then migrate south for the wintering period, with regions in Mexico and along the southern border of the United States. 

During this migration time, they may be seen in Missouri. If they do appear in the state, they are most common in the western portion of the state during the months between July and November.

3. Anna’s Hummingbird

Anna’s hummingbird is another common species of hummingbird in the West, although it may occasionally appear in Missouri along with the rufous hummingbird. This species is typically found throughout the western United States, with a breeding range in Canada and a wintering range in Mexico. Although the closest they come to Missouri in their typical migration is New Mexico, individuals have been reported in the state.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Patrick Jennings/Shutterstock.com