South · Mississippi Flyway
Hummingbirds in Tennessee
Hummingbirds in Tennessee come down to 5 species with regular eBird records, led by the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Together they account for 69,031 of the 8.7 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 0.8% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird and Allen's Hummingbird. Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in North America and the only ones that routinely hover. They feed on flower nectar and small insects, and almost every species is migratory, so which hummingbirds you see — and when — depends heavily on where you live.
Hummingbirds in Tennessee: every species, most-reported first
Every hummingbird with at least 25 eBird records in the state from 2020–2024, most-reported first. The status label is derived from each species’ own monthly share of all state records.
1. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) — 68,500 records, 0.8% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in August.
2. Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) — 205 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from October to February and peaking in December.
3. Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) — 148 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from December to February and peaking in December.
4. Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) — 101 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in December with a peak in December.
5. Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) — 77 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in November and December with a peak in November.
When to see hummingbirds in Tennessee
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, hummingbirds are most prominent in August, September and July and least in February and March. None of the 5 species is a year-round resident, so the timing below is everything.
Summer visitors. Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrives around May and is mostly gone after September (peak August).
Winter visitors. Rufous Hummingbird arrives around October and leaves after February (peak December); Black-chinned Hummingbird arrives around December and leaves after February (peak December).
Passage migrants. Calliope Hummingbird is reported mainly in December; Allen's Hummingbird is reported mainly in November and December.
Attracting hummingbirds to Tennessee backyards
A clean nectar feeder (plain sugar water, no dye) and native tubular flowers are the two things that reliably bring hummingbirds into a yard. Put feeders up a couple of weeks before the first arrivals listed below and keep them up until the last departures.
In Tennessee the hummingbird most likely to turn up is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Its own page covers month-by-month activity and attraction tips for this state.
Hummingbirds in Tennessee: FAQ
How many species of hummingbirds are there in Tennessee?
5 species of hummingbirds have regular eBird records in Tennessee (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird and Allen's Hummingbird.
What is the most common hummingbird in Tennessee?
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird, with 68,500 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Rufous Hummingbird with 205. It is a summer visitor, present mainly from May to September and peaking in August.
When is the best time to see hummingbirds in Tennessee?
August, September and July, when the combined share of Tennessee eBird records belonging to hummingbirds is highest. Summer visitors such as the Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrive around May. Winter visitors such as the Rufous Hummingbird arrive around October.
More birds in Tennessee
Hummingbirds in other states
Hummingbirds in Tennessee: sources
Every number on this page comes from the EOD – eBird Observation Dataset published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and distributed through GBIF under a CC BY 4.0 license: Tennessee records from 2020–2024, retrieved 2026-09-18. Species are drawn from the families Trochilidae; only species with at least 25 records are listed, and a species is called a year-round resident when its monthly share of state records stays above 30% of its own peak in ten or more months. “Records” are individual eBird observations, so they reflect how often birders report a species, not a population count.