Did you know Delaware only has one truly native hummingbird species? That’s right, only the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) calls Delaware part of its regular home turf. 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 pop in from time to time for a visit.
When Do Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Arrive in Delaware?
Putting up a hummingbird feeder during spring migration season is a great way to entice ruby-throated hummingbirds to stay in Delaware and breed!
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Ruby-throated hummingbirds are not year-round residents of Delaware. Rather, they arrive during the annual spring migration season. While many are just passing through as they migrate as far north as southern Canada, others will stick around and make Delaware their home for the breeding season. Males usually arrive first to claim breeding territories, around mid-April, with females arriving soon after to choose mates and nest. If you want to coax these migrating hummingbirds into making your home theirs for the season, you can entice them by planting nectar flowers and putting up hummingbird nectar feeders!
When Do Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Leave Delaware?
Like other hummingbird species, the female ruby-throated hummingbird is duller in color and lacks the bright throat patch.
©John L. Absher/Shutterstock.com
After breeding and raising their young through the summer, ruby-throated hummingbirds will reverse their path during the fall migration season. During this time, birds who stayed to breed (and their young!) will join up with others flying back down from more northern areas. The exodus usually begins in September, with most gone from the state by October.
Where Do Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Go After Leaving Delaware?
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. Amazingly, many will cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single super-powered nonstop flight!
Do Other Hummingbirds Visit Delaware Too?
While the ruby-throated hummingbird is Delaware’s only official native species, several other species from western and southern North America and Central America occasionally pop up in the state as “vagrants.” These are individuals from species whose natural ranges aren’t normally in the state 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 six such vagrant species have been recorded in Delaware 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 Delaware in late autumn and winter.
2. Allen’s Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)Â
The male Allen’s hummingbird exhibits an overall coppery appearance.
©Angel DiBilio/Shutterstock.com
This western species migrates from the U.S. Pacific coast to southern central Mexico but also occasionally turns up in Delaware as a vagrant. The most recent sighting was in January 2022.
3. Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope)
The male calliope hummingbird has a magenta-rayed gorget.
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This is the smallest bird in the United States and another rare western species visitor to Delaware. There have only been a handful of sightings in the state, the first in November 2012 and the most recent in April 2022.
4. Black-Chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
The male “black-chinned” hummingbird sports a beautiful deep purple gorget too.
©rck_953/Shutterstock.com
This is another of the western hummingbird species, though it is a much rarer Delaware vagrant. There are only a few records, including a sighting in November 2020.
5. Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypta anna)
The male Anna’s hummingbird distinguishes itself from the other similarly-colored species with an iridescent reddish-pink cap to match its scarf.
©Devonyu /Shutterstock.com
November 2012 was an auspicious time for western hummingbirds in Delaware. Not only was this when the state’s first calliope hummingbird was recorded as previously noted, but also the first and still only verified record of Anna’s hummingbird as well.
6. Broad-Tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)
While the broad-billed hummingbird looks similar to the native ruby-throated species, the male’s gorget usually appears more rose-colored.
©David Kish/iStock via Getty Images
Like Anna’s hummingbird, this especially rare western visitor has thus far only been reported once in Delaware, back in March 1998.
Conclusion
There is only one native hummingbird species in Delaware, the ruby-throated hummingbird. This migratory species will arrive in the state during the spring, usually starting in mid-April. After spending the spring and summer months breeding and raising families, they will leave again for autumn migration in September and October, making their way south to their overwintering grounds. There are also at least half a dozen other hummingbird 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 provide them with a hummingbird-friendly habitat!
