When thoughts of the great state of Colorado, and the wildlife that may be encountered there, come to mind, I am sure that most people immediately think of bighorn sheep or deer. I am almost sure that the majority of people would never think about hummingbirds that may be seen here. But, like most states throughout the nation, these tiny winged birds visit Colorado. In fact, there are at least ten species of hummingbirds that frequently visit Colorado in the summer. These are Anna’s, Black-chinned, Blue-throated, Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Calliope, Green Violet-eared, Magnificent, Ruby-throated, Rufous and White-eared. Four of these species, Black-chinned, Broad-billed, Calliope and Rufous are commonly seen in Colorado and two of these species, the Broad-billed and Black-chinned nest in Colorado.
Anna’s Hummingbird, one of the least seen hummingbirds in Colorado, is best identified by its song, as most hummingbirds do not have a song. Other than its song, this hummingbird can be identified by its metallic green feathers that cover the back of the male, along with the gray feathers on the breast and dark red feathers on its throat and crown. The female Anna’s Hummingbird has green feathers on its back, but they are not as brilliant as the metallic feathers covering the back of the male. The female also has lighter gray colored feathers covering its breast as well as white feathers on its breast with red spots. The female also has white tips on its tail feathers.
The Black-chinned Hummingbird, which is one of the species that nests in the Southwest corner of Colorado, is often first seen in at the end of May. The male of this species has black feathers that cover his throat, along with purple feathers that create a throat band. It also has a white collar. Green feathers cover the back, crown and breast as well. The female is somewhat larger than the male and has white feathers covering her breast and throat. The throat also has black spots on it. There are also buff feathers that cover the female’s sides with white tips. Like the male, the female has green feathers covering its crown and back.
The Blue-throated Hummingbird is one of the largest species of hummingbirds seen in Colorado, with males weighing in at 8.4g and females weighing in at 6.8g. The male Blue-throated hummingbird gets its name from the bright blue feathers that line its throat. It also has dark gray feathers covering its breast, dark blue tail feathers with white tips, white stripes above its eye as well as below its eye and green feathers all down its back and covering its crown. The female Blue-throated hummingbird is marked much like the male with dark gray feathers covering its breast, green feathers covering its crown and its back and white tips on blue tail feathers. The female also has the white stripes above and below its eyes like the male.
The Broad-billed Hummingbird is another of the least common hummingbirds seen in Colorado. This species of hummingbird is identified by the bright colors of the male along with the orange-red with black tip bills that both species have. The male has bright metallic blue feathers covering his throat along with dark green feathers that cover his crown, breast and back. The female has gray feathers covering her breast and throat, green feathers that cover her crown and back and white tips on her tail feathers.
The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is one of two species of hummingbirds that nest in Colorado. This species of hummingbird usually arrives in Colorado in mid-April and will nest in the foothills and mountain forests, close to a water supply. One distinguishing feature of this hummingbird is the sound the male’s feathers make when his wings are moving. The female does not make a sound. The male of this species are brilliantly marked with metallic green feathers on their backs and crowns, white feathers on their breasts, and rose-colored feathers covering their throats. The males’ tail feathers are also rounded. The females of this species have green feathers covering their crowns and backs, but these feathers are not metallic as are the males. They also have white feathers on their throats with black spots. The females also have rust colored feathers located on their sides and they have green, rust and black tail feathers with white tips.
The Calliope Hummingbird, which is one of the four species of hummingbirds commonly seen in Colorado, is also one of the smaller species with males weighing about 2.5g and females weighing a little more, about 2.83g. The white feathers that cover their throats and the purple feathers within these white feathers that easily create a “whiskered” look identify males of this species. These males also have metallic green feathers covering their crowns and backs. The female Calliope Hummingbird also has green feathers covering her crown and back, but this green is duller than the metallic found on the males. She also has white feathers covering her throat along with dark feathers creating streaks instead of whiskers. The female will also have buff colored feathers on its sides and its tail has white tips on the corners.
The Green-violet Eared Humming bird is occasionally seen migrating through Colorado, heading south. This hummingbird is identified by the feathers on its blue throat and breast that are bright pale and create a glitter effect as well as fringe. Its name comes from the violet patch located under its eye and creates a triangle from the eye to the neck. The Green-violet Eared Hummingbird also has a black band on its tail feathers that is located toward the end of its yellow-tipped tail feathers. The male of this species has black feet and a black bill. The female looks very similar to the male with the exception of her glittering green feathers being only on her throat and none on her breast.
The Magnificent Hummingbird is another species that is occasionally seen in Colorado. This hummingbird is second largest in the United States. The Blue-throated is the only one larger. The male Magnificent Hummingbird will weigh about 7.7g and has very colorful feathers covering its body. On its back are dark green feathers, on its forehead and crown there are purple feathers, on its throat are metallic green feathers and it has black feathers covering its breast. The female Magnificent Hummingbird is also large, usually weighing about 6.4g. However, the females are not near as colorful as the males with their olive green feathers covering their crown and back, their gray feathers covering their breast and throat and pearl-gray tipped tail feathers.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is another species found in Colorado. This species of hummingbird is noticeable by the males’ ruby red feathers covering its throat and forked tail. The male also has emerald green feathers covering its back. The female Ruby-throated hummingbird does not have a ruby-colored throat at all. The throat of the female is covered in white feathers just like its breast. The female also has a rounded tail with white-tipped tail feathers and a longer bill than the male. However, it does have an emerald colored back like the male.
The Rufous Hummingbird is found in every state and Colorado is no exception. The Rufous Hummingbird travels through Colorado in July and August on its southward journey for the up coming winter. This hummingbird is identified by the rufous color found predominantly all over its body, especially on the crown, tail and sides of the male. On the female, the rufous colored feathers are found on the sides and on the base of its tail feathers. The male will also have bright orange-red feathers covering its throat and white feathers on its breast while the female will have green feathers on its back and crown, a white breast and a throat that is streaked.
The White-eared Hummingbird is among the least commonly seen hummingbirds in Colorado. This species of hummingbirds get their name from the white feathers, found on both males and females that create ear stripes. Of the two sexes, the male is more colorful with emerald green feathers on its crown and back while the female has the more drab green feathers in the same locations. The male also has purple feathers on its crown, iridescent blue-green feathers on its chin while it’s female will have white feathers on her breast, and her sides are white with green streaks. Besides the white ear stripes the male and female share and get their name from, they also have a black tipped, red bill.
Hummingbirds in Colorado
When thoughts of the great state of Colorado, and the wildlife that may be encountered there, come to mind, I am sure that most people immediately think of bighorn sheep or deer. I am almost sure that the majority of people would never think about hummingbirds that may be seen here. But, like most states throughout the nation, these tiny winged birds visit Colorado. In fact, there are at least ten species of hummingbirds that frequently visit Colorado in the summer. These are Anna’s, Black-chinned, Blue-throated, Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Calliope, Green Violet-eared, Magnificent, Ruby-throated, Rufous and White-eared. Four of these species, Black-chinned, Broad-billed, Calliope and Rufous are commonly seen in Colorado and two of these species, the Broad-billed and Black-chinned nest in Colorado.
Anna’s Hummingbird, one of the least seen hummingbirds in Colorado, is best identified by its song, as most hummingbirds do not have a song. Other than its song, this hummingbird can be identified by its metallic green feathers that cover the back of the male, along with the gray feathers on the breast and dark red feathers on its throat and crown. The female Anna’s Hummingbird has green feathers on its back, but they are not as brilliant as the metallic feathers covering the back of the male. The female also has lighter gray colored feathers covering its breast as well as white feathers on its breast with red spots. The female also has white tips on its tail feathers.
The Black-chinned Hummingbird, which is one of the species that nests in the Southwest corner of Colorado, is often first seen in at the end of May. The male of this species has black feathers that cover his throat, along with purple feathers that create a throat band. It also has a white collar. Green feathers cover the back, crown and breast as well. The female is somewhat larger than the male and has white feathers covering her breast and throat. The throat also has black spots on it. There are also buff feathers that cover the female’s sides with white tips. Like the male, the female has green feathers covering its crown and back.
The Blue-throated Hummingbird is one of the largest species of hummingbirds seen in Colorado, with males weighing in at 8.4g and females weighing in at 6.8g. The male Blue-throated hummingbird gets its name from the bright blue feathers that line its throat. It also has dark gray feathers covering its breast, dark blue tail feathers with white tips, white stripes above its eye as well as below its eye and green feathers all down its back and covering its crown. The female Blue-throated hummingbird is marked much like the male with dark gray feathers covering its breast, green feathers covering its crown and its back and white tips on blue tail feathers. The female also has the white stripes above and below its eyes like the male.
The Broad-billed Hummingbird is another of the least common hummingbirds seen in Colorado. This species of hummingbird is identified by the bright colors of the male along with the orange-red with black tip bills that both species have. The male has bright metallic blue feathers covering his throat along with dark green feathers that cover his crown, breast and back. The female has gray feathers covering her breast and throat, green feathers that cover her crown and back and white tips on her tail feathers.
The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is one of two species of hummingbirds that nest in Colorado. This species of hummingbird usually arrives in Colorado in mid-April and will nest in the foothills and mountain forests, close to a water supply. One distinguishing feature of this hummingbird is the sound the male’s feathers make when his wings are moving. The female does not make a sound. The male of this species are brilliantly marked with metallic green feathers on their backs and crowns, white feathers on their breasts, and rose-colored feathers covering their throats. The males’ tail feathers are also rounded. The females of this species have green feathers covering their crowns and backs, but these feathers are not metallic as are the males. They also have white feathers on their throats with black spots. The females also have rust colored feathers located on their sides and they have green, rust and black tail feathers with white tips.
The Calliope Hummingbird, which is one of the four species of hummingbirds commonly seen in Colorado, is also one of the smaller species with males weighing about 2.5g and females weighing a little more, about 2.83g. The white feathers that cover their throats and the purple feathers within these white feathers that easily create a “whiskered” look identify males of this species. These males also have metallic green feathers covering their crowns and backs. The female Calliope Hummingbird also has green feathers covering her crown and back, but this green is duller than the metallic found on the males. She also has white feathers covering her throat along with dark feathers creating streaks instead of whiskers. The female will also have buff colored feathers on its sides and its tail has white tips on the corners.
The Green-violet Eared Humming bird is occasionally seen migrating through Colorado, heading south. This hummingbird is identified by the feathers on its blue throat and breast that are bright pale and create a glitter effect as well as fringe. Its name comes from the violet patch located under its eye and creates a triangle from the eye to the neck. The Green-violet Eared Hummingbird also has a black band on its tail feathers that is located toward the end of its yellow-tipped tail feathers. The male of this species has black feet and a black bill. The female looks very similar to the male with the exception of her glittering green feathers being only on her throat and none on her breast.
The Magnificent Hummingbird is another species that is occasionally seen in Colorado. This hummingbird is second largest in the United States. The Blue-throated is the only one larger. The male Magnificent Hummingbird will weigh about 7.7g and has very colorful feathers covering its body. On its back are dark green feathers, on its forehead and crown there are purple feathers, on its throat are metallic green feathers and it has black feathers covering its breast. The female Magnificent Hummingbird is also large, usually weighing about 6.4g. However, the females are not near as colorful as the males with their olive green feathers covering their crown and back, their gray feathers covering their breast and throat and pearl-gray tipped tail feathers.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is another species found in Colorado. This species of hummingbird is noticeable by the males’ ruby red feathers covering its throat and forked tail. The male also has emerald green feathers covering its back. The female Ruby-throated hummingbird does not have a ruby-colored throat at all. The throat of the female is covered in white feathers just like its breast. The female also has a rounded tail with white-tipped tail feathers and a longer bill than the male. However, it does have an emerald colored back like the male.
The Rufous Hummingbird is found in every state and Colorado is no exception. The Rufous Hummingbird travels through Colorado in July and August on its southward journey for the up coming winter. This hummingbird is identified by the rufous color found predominantly all over its body, especially on the crown, tail and sides of the male. On the female, the rufous colored feathers are found on the sides and on the base of its tail feathers. The male will also have bright orange-red feathers covering its throat and white feathers on its breast while the female will have green feathers on its back and crown, a white breast and a throat that is streaked.
The White-eared Hummingbird is among the least commonly seen hummingbirds in Colorado. This species of hummingbirds get their name from the white feathers, found on both males and females that create ear stripes. Of the two sexes, the male is more colorful with emerald green feathers on its crown and back while the female has the more drab green feathers in the same locations. The male also has purple feathers on its crown, iridescent blue-green feathers on its chin while it’s female will have white feathers on her breast, and her sides are white with green streaks. Besides the white ear stripes the male and female share and get their name from, they also have a black tipped, red bill.
