South · Central Flyway
Hummingbirds in Texas
Hummingbirds in Texas come down to 16 species with regular eBird records, led by the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Together they account for 409,701 of the 35 million eBird records from 2020–2024 — 1.2% of everything reported in the state.
The full list: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Lucifer Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Rivoli's Hummingbird, Blue-throated Mountain-gem, Green-breasted Mango, Mexican Violetear, Costa's Hummingbird and White-eared 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 Texas: 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) — 169,438 records, 0.5% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, August, September and October with a peak in September.
2. Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) — 145,821 records, 0.4% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to September and peaking in July.
3. Buff-bellied Hummingbird (Amazilia yucatanensis) — 44,469 records, 0.1% of the state’s eBird total; a year-round resident, reported in every month.
4. Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) — 27,324 records, 0.08% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from August to February and peaking in August.
5. Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) — 8,705 records, 0.02% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in August, September and October with a peak in August.
6. Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna) — 4,827 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from August to August and peaking in December.
7. Lucifer Hummingbird (Calothorax lucifer) — 2,583 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from May to August and peaking in August.
8. Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) — 2,474 records, 0.01% of the state’s eBird total; a passage migrant, reported mainly in August and September with a peak in August.
9. Allen's Hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin) — 1,342 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from August to February and peaking in December.
10. Broad-billed Hummingbird (Cynanthus latirostris) — 986 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a winter visitor, present mainly from July to February and peaking in January.
11. Rivoli's Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) — 898 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from June to August and peaking in August.
12. Blue-throated Mountain-gem (Lampornis clemenciae) — 376 records, 0.00% of the state’s eBird total; a summer visitor, present mainly from April to August and peaking in June.
The remaining 4 species — Green-breasted Mango, Mexican Violetear, Costa's Hummingbird and White-eared Hummingbird — are recorded regularly but in smaller numbers; see the cards above for their status.
When to see hummingbirds in Texas
Adding up every species’ share of state eBird records month by month, hummingbirds are most prominent in September, August and July and least in February and January. 1 of the 16 species is year-round — Buff-bellied Hummingbird — so there is no month without them.
Summer visitors. Black-chinned Hummingbird arrives around April and is mostly gone after September (peak July); Lucifer Hummingbird arrives around May and is mostly gone after August (peak August); Rivoli's Hummingbird arrives around June and is mostly gone after August (peak August); Blue-throated Mountain-gem arrives around April and is mostly gone after August (peak June).
Winter visitors. Rufous Hummingbird arrives around August and leaves after February (peak August); Anna's Hummingbird arrives around August and leaves after August (peak December); Allen's Hummingbird arrives around August and leaves after February (peak December); Broad-billed Hummingbird arrives around July and leaves after February (peak January).
Passage migrants. Ruby-throated Hummingbird is reported mainly in April, August, September and October; Broad-tailed Hummingbird is reported mainly in August, September and October; Calliope Hummingbird is reported mainly in August and September; Green-breasted Mango is reported mainly in July; Mexican Violetear is reported mainly in April, May and July; Costa's Hummingbird is reported mainly in March, August, September and October.
Attracting hummingbirds to Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas: FAQ
How many species of hummingbirds are there in Texas?
16 species of hummingbirds have regular eBird records in Texas (at least 25 records in 2020–2024): Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, Buff-bellied Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Anna's Hummingbird, Lucifer Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird, Broad-billed Hummingbird, Rivoli's Hummingbird, Blue-throated Mountain-gem, Green-breasted Mango, Mexican Violetear, Costa's Hummingbird and White-eared Hummingbird.
What is the most common hummingbird in Texas?
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird, with 169,438 eBird records in 2020–2024, followed by the Black-chinned Hummingbird with 145,821. It is a passage migrant, reported mainly in April, August, September and October with a peak in September.
When is the best time to see hummingbirds in Texas?
September, August and July, when the combined share of Texas eBird records belonging to hummingbirds is highest. Summer visitors such as the Black-chinned Hummingbird arrive around April. Winter visitors such as the Rufous Hummingbird arrive around August.
More birds in Texas
Hummingbirds in other states
Hummingbirds in Texas: 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: Texas 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.