Did you know Rhode Island only has one truly native hummingbird species? That’s right, only the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) calls Rhode Island home. In fact, this is the only hummingbird species native to the whole of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern U.S. and Canada! Like other hummingbird species, they are strongly dimorphic, with males sporting more colorful plumage that includes an iridescent red throat patch called a gorget. Read on to find out when these little flying jewels arrive in and leave the state, where they go, and what other species may appear from time to time for a visit.
When Do Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Arrive in Rhode Island?
Putting up a hummingbird feeder during spring migration season is a great way to coax ruby-throated hummingbirds to stay in Rhode Island and breed!
©Christine Balleau/iStock via Getty Images
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are not year-round residents of Rhode Island. Rather, they arrive during the annual spring migration season. Many will just be passing through as they migrate as far north as southern Canada. However, others will stick around and make Rhode Island their home for the breeding season. Males usually arrive first to claim breeding territories, beginning around the end of April. Females will then arrive in May to choose mates and nest. If you want to entice these migrating hummingbirds into making your home theirs for the season, you can attract them by planting their favorite nectar flowers and putting up nectar feeders!
When Do Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Leave Rhode Island?
Just as adult males are usually first to arrive in spring, they are often the first to leave in fall.
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After breeding and raising their young through the summer, ruby-throated hummingbirds will reverse their path during the fall migration season. During this time, the birds who stayed to breed (and their young!) will join up with others flying back down from further north. The departing waves usually begin at the end of August, with most birds gone from the state by the end of September.
Where Do Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Go After Leaving Rhode Island?
This map illustrates the range of the ruby-throated hummingbird. Orange represents its breeding range, yellow its extended migration range, and blue its overwintering range.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate south to overwintering grounds in Florida, Mexico, and Central America. Remarkably, many will cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single super-powered nonstop flight!
Do Other Hummingbirds Visit Rhode Island Too?
While the ruby-throated hummingbird is the only official native species in the Northeastern U.S., several other species from western and southern North America and Central America occasionally pop up in the region as “vagrants.” These are individuals from species whose natural ranges aren’t normally in this area but who somehow turn up anyway. They may have been blown in by storms, gotten thrown off course during migration, hitchhiked on vehicles or cargo, or otherwise just managed to break new ground for their species! At least two such vagrant species have been recorded in Rhode Island in recent decades.
1. Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
The male rufous hummingbird distinguishes itself from the ruby-throated hummingbird by its brilliant orange coloration.
©punkbirdr/Shutterstock.com
While this hummingbird species is native to western North America, it appears as a vagrant east of the Rockies more frequently than any of the other western species. It is most likely to turn up as a special visitor to Rhode Island between October and January.
Additionally, there have been multiple reports of possible rufous hummingbird x Allen’s hummingbird hybrids recorded in the state, including most recently in November 2021. However, Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) as a species has never been recorded in Rhode Island.
Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope)
The male calliope hummingbird has a magenta-rayed gorget.
©iStock.com/McBenjamen
This is the smallest bird in the United States and an extremely rare western species visitor to Rhode Island. To date, there have only been two individuals recorded in the state, documented together in October 2013.
Conclusion
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird species native to Rhode Island. This migratory species will arrive in the state during the spring, usually beginning at the end of April into May. While some will continue on further north, others will stay in the state to breed and raise families. They will leave again for autumn migration in late August through September, making their way south to their overwintering grounds. There are also at least two other species that, while not native to the state, have been recorded as rare visitors. If you want to make whatever hummingbirds show up in your area feel welcome, make sure to offer them a hummingbird-friendly habitat!
