Rufous Hummingbird

Ounce for ounce one of the great travelers on Earth: Rufous Hummingbirds winter in Mexico and breed as far north as southeast Alaska, a one-way trip of nearly 4,000 miles. They run a clockwise loop — north along the Pacific coast in late winter, south through the Rocky Mountain wildflower meadows in mid-summer.

Range

Breeds in the Pacific Northwest from Oregon to Alaska. Migrates through the entire West. Increasingly regular in the East in late fall and winter, especially along the Gulf Coast.

Migration timing

The earliest 'spring' migrant in North America: coastal California in January–February, Oregon by late February, Washington in early March, Alaska by mid-April. The return trip starts shockingly early — adult males are moving south through the Rockies by late June — and continues through September. Wintering birds appear at Southeast feeders from November onward.

How to identify one

• Male: blazing rufous-orange back and flanks, scarlet-orange gorget — no other common US hummingbird is orange-backed
• Female: green back, rufous wash on flanks and tail base; very similar to Allen's
• Attitude: the most aggressive common feeder bird, routinely driving off larger species

At the feeder

In the mountain West, expect a mid-July takeover: southbound Rufous claim feeders and defend them ruthlessly for a few weeks of refueling. In the East, any hummingbird at a feeder after Halloween deserves a careful look — Rufous is the most likely answer.

Where to find the Rufous Hummingbird

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