People are often surprised how few species you actually need to know to identify hummingbirds here. In most of western Washington and Oregon, and even British Columbia, it comes down to two — with a couple of rare visitors you might get lucky enough to spot if you're paying close attention. After years of photographing them in my own backyard in Issaquah, Washington, here's how I tell them apart.
Anna's Hummingbird — The Year-Rounder
Calypte anna
The bird you'll see at your feeder in January. Anna's hummingbirds are non-migratory, year-round residents throughout much of the Pacific Northwest — one of the only hummingbird species in North America that doesn't fly south for winter. Males have an iridescent magenta-rose gorget (throat patch) that can look almost black in flat light and then flash brilliant red-pink the instant it catches direct sun. Females are duller green above, usually with just a small patch of iridescent color on the throat.
Because they're around all year, Anna's are the species most people in this region actually build a relationship with — the same individual birds will keep visiting reliably for years if you keep feeders maintained. See my full Anna's Hummingbird photo gallery.
Rufous Hummingbird — The Summer Visitor
Selasphorus rufus
Rufous hummingbirds show up here in spring — typically March — and head back south by mid to late summer. Males are unmistakable: a brilliant, fiery orange body that seems to glow in direct light. Females are green above with rufous coloring along the flanks and tail.
Don't let their small size fool you — Rufous hummingbirds are some of the most aggressive, territorial birds you'll see at a feeder, and will happily pick fights they have no business winning. They also make one of the most impressive migrations of any bird for their size, breeding as far north as Alaska and wintering in Mexico — a round trip of thousands of miles for a bird that weighs about as much as a penny.
See my full Rufous Hummingbird photo gallery.
Rare and Occasional Visitors
I haven't personally photographed either of these — Anna's and Rufous are the birds I actually know from years in my own backyard — but they're both worth knowing if you want to identify something unusual at your feeder.
Calliope Hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) — Passes through parts of the Pacific Northwest, especially at higher elevations, on its way to and from breeding grounds further north and east. It's the smallest breeding bird in the U.S. and Canada — noticeably tinier than either Anna's or Rufous — and males have distinctive streaky magenta throat feathers rather than a solid gorget.
Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) — More of an eastern Washington bird, common on the drier side of the Cascades, but occasionally reported on the west side, including rare sightings around the greater Seattle area. Males have a throat that looks solid black in most light, with a thin band of iridescent purple at the base that only shows up in direct sun.
Telling Them Apart at a Glance
- See a hummingbird in January? It's an Anna's — nothing else is around.
- Bright, fiery orange male in spring or summer? Rufous.
- Green female you can't quite place? Check the tail and flanks for rufous/orange coloring — if it's there, it's a Rufous; if not, it's an Anna's.
- Tiny bird with streaky, not solid, throat color? Possibly a Calliope passing through.
- Throat looks solid black, maybe with a thin purple edge in direct sun? Could be a rare Black-chinned, especially east of the Cascades.
More Species Coming
This covers what you'll actually see in a Pacific Northwest backyard, but I've also been lucky enough to photograph a couple dozen more species on trips to Costa Rica and Ecuador. I'm working on a full hummingbird species guide featuring all of them — check back soon.