Sep 03, 2026
Hummingbirds in Mississippi: The Complete Guide to All 11 Species
Mississippi's Gulf Coast counties do something most of the country can't: they hold banding-confirmed hummingbird records in every single month of the year. One genuine year-round resident, three regular migrant and winter visitors, two recurring rarities that have picked up steam since 2020, and five species documented once or a handful of times make up Mississippi's eleven confirmed hummingbirds.
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All 11 species, one page
This page covers every hummingbird confirmed in Mississippi, rarities included. The printable species guide is the practical companion — every species, its status, and how many records it has on file, sorted by how likely you are to actually see it.
Download the Mississippi species guideOne page · PDF · free to print and share
All 11 documented Mississippi hummingbird species, grouped by tier — cross-checked against the Mississippi Bird Records Committee's (MBRC) official checklist and Annual Reports.
Mississippi's Year-Round Resident
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Resident
Along the six coastal counties — Hancock, Harrison, Jackson, Pearl River, George, and Stone — this isn't just a summer bird. The Mississippi Ornithological Society has banded and confirmed Ruby-throateds in every single month of the year there, a rare claim for a species most of the country only sees from April through September. Further inland, it settles into the more familiar pattern: arriving in force by late March, gone again by early October.
Quick ID: Adult males show a brilliant iridescent ruby-red throat that can look flat black until light hits it directly, paired with an emerald-green back. Females and immatures lack the red throat, showing a plain whitish throat and a rounded, white-tipped tail instead.
A Little Throne for Your Ruby-throated
Ruby-throated is Mississippi's only true year-round resident, holding territory on the Gulf Coast in every month of the year. A dedicated perch gives it a spot to guard that territory from, season after season.
Shop Charm Redwood Swing →Mississippi's Regular Migrant and Winter Visitors
Three species show up in Mississippi reliably enough that MBRC either excludes them from its Review List entirely or treats them as regular winter residents — genuine, repeatable presence, concentrated mostly along the Gulf Coast.
Black-chinned Hummingbird Migrant/Winter
Mississippi's official checklist codes it a rare winter resident. Two independent MBRC committee reports, eight years apart, confirm it's absent from the hummingbird Review List — a species regular enough not to require documentation.
Quick ID: Adult males show a velvety black throat with a thin band of iridescent purple visible only at the right angle — otherwise it reads as solid black. Females are essentially identical to female Ruby-throated except for longer wings that reach nearly to the tail tip.
Buff-bellied Hummingbird Migrant/Winter
The Mississippi Kite's own cumulative 1990s index documents Buff-bellied appearing across roughly seven or eight separate report-years from 1990 to 1998 — a genuine, decade-long recurring pattern, not an isolated event — and the species is confirmed absent from the Review List in two committee reports eight years apart. Uncommon in the southern coastal counties, casual to accidental further inland.
Quick ID: A striking red bill tipped in black is the giveaway on both sexes; an iridescent blue-green throat, buff-colored belly, and a rufous tail that flashes chestnut in flight round out the picture.
Rufous Hummingbird Migrant/Winter
MBRC treats Rufous as one of only three regularly occurring Mississippi hummingbirds, alongside Ruby-throated and Black-chinned — no Casual or Accidental tag. It's not a Review species at all statewide, and is genuinely regular on the coast.
Adult males are unmistakable — fiery coppery-orange overall with an iridescent orange-red throat — and famously aggressive, chasing off other hummingbirds regardless of size difference. Females and immatures are trickier: green-backed above, with rufous-washed flanks and a rusty patch at the base of the tail.
Quick ID: Adult males are almost entirely coppery-orange with a glowing orange-red throat, and the only largely rufous-backed hummingbird in North America; females and immatures are green-backed with rufous-washed flanks.
An Extra Feeder for Your Winter Visitors
Black-chinned, Buff-bellied, and Rufous all show up on the Gulf Coast during the cooler months, sometimes alongside lingering Ruby-throateds. A second station keeps a genuine winter visitor from having to compete for what's already there.
Shop AspenPerch Feeder →Mississippi's Recurring Rarities
Two species have picked up a real, documented pace of occurrence since 2020 — multiple accepted records clustered in just the last few years.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird Rare / Casual Visitor
At least three accepted records, two of them from 2020–2021: a subadult male banded in Jackson, Hinds County, present from late December 2020 through early April 2021, and another banded in Florence, Rankin County, in March 2021. Genuine, continuing recurrence, not a species that faded out years ago.
Quick ID: Adult males have a rose-magenta throat and produce a distinctive high metallic trill with their wings in flight, audible before the bird is visible. Females closely resemble female Rufous but lack the extensive rufous wash on the flanks.
Calliope Hummingbird Rare / Casual Visitor
Three accepted records, all from 2020–2021: a subadult male banded in Ocean Springs, Jackson County, present from early December 2020 into February 2021; a bird in Brooklyn, Forrest County, in November 2021; and an adult female banded in Moss Point, Jackson County, in late November 2021. Three separate documented birds within a single two-year window — a real, recent cluster.
Quick ID: North America's smallest breeding hummingbird, with a hunched posture and short tail. Males have a unique streaked, ray-like magenta throat unlike any other species' solid gorget. Females are tiny even by hummingbird standards, with a peachy wash across the underparts and fine green stippling on the throat.
Make Your Sanctuary Worth a Detour
Broad-tailed and Calliope have both picked up a real, banded pace of Mississippi records since 2020. Real electrolytes and calcium beyond plain sugar water give a recurring rarity a reason to linger instead of just passing through.
Shop Nectarlyte® Powder →If You're Lucky: Mississippi's Historic Rarities
Five more species have been formally accepted by the Mississippi Bird Records Committee — real, documented occurrences, each a single event or a small handful of records rather than a recurring pattern.
Anna's Hummingbird Historic / Accidental
Four accepted records span 1994 to 2005: Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, in the winter of 1994–95; Morgan City, Leflore County, in late 2004; Starkville, Oktibbeha County, in November 2005; and a second Bay St. Louis bird in December 2005. Four records across 11 years might read as borderline recurring, but MBRC's own committee code for the species remains "Accidental," and this project defers to the committee's own designation.
Quick ID: The only North American hummingbird with a fully colored crown as well as throat — males glow rose-pink from head to throat. Females show a central patch of rose-red spotting on an otherwise plain throat, with a stocky, broad-tailed build.
Allen's Hummingbird Historic / Accidental
Mississippi's only accepted record: an adult female photographed at a Bay St. Louis, Hancock County, feeder in December 2005. Nothing recorded before or since.
Quick ID: Adult males show a coppery tail, eye patch, and belly against a bronze-green back, with a deep reddish-orange gorget. Females and immatures are extremely difficult to separate from female Rufous without a bird in hand.
Broad-billed Hummingbird Historic / Accidental
Mississippi's only accepted record: an immature male photographed at an Ocean Springs, Jackson County, feeder from November through December 1998. Nothing recorded before or since.
Quick ID: A vivid red bill tipped in black is diagnostic on both sexes; adult males add a shimmering blue throat and rich green body. Females are golden-green above and gray below, with a white line behind the eye.
Mexican Violetear Historic / Accidental
Mississippi's only accepted record: a bird documented by multiple observers in Olive Branch, DeSoto County, in October 1999, originally recorded under the former name Green Violet-ear. The bird's true locality is Olive Branch — not "Holly Springs," a location that circulates in unofficial sources but isn't supported by the committee's own record. Nothing recorded before or since.
Quick ID: Both sexes look essentially alike — an all-green hummingbird with a glittering violet patch across the ear coverts and upper chest, and a blackish band crossing the blue-green tail.
White-eared Hummingbird Historic / Accidental
Mississippi's only accepted occurrence: a long-staying feeder bird in Gulfport, Harrison County, documented across the winters of 1995 and 1996 in the Mississippi Ornithological Society's own seasonal report archive. Nothing recorded before or since.
Quick ID: A bold white stripe behind the eye stands out against an otherwise green-and-rufous body; the bill is straight and mostly red with a black tip.
Give Every Visitor a Reason to Stay
Mississippi's five historic rarities, from Anna's to White-eared, prove almost anything can show up when the conditions line up. Real nectar sources give the next one a reason to stay long enough to be seen and confirmed.
Shop Wildflower Seed →Mississippi Hummingbirds at a Glance
Ruby-throated's dominance here isn't a close call — statewide eBird frequency peaks near 20.9%, and every other confirmed species stays under 1% at true statewide scale. With a gap this wide, a bar chart wouldn't show anything the table below doesn't already say plainly, so this section skips straight to the table.
| Species | Mississippi Records | Best Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby-throated | Genuine year-round resident on the Gulf Coast | Year-round on the coast; March-October statewide |
| Black-chinned | Rare winter resident, off the review list | Winter, mostly coastal |
| Buff-bellied | Genuine recurring pattern, uncommon on the coast | Fall/winter, southern coastal counties |
| Rufous | One of only 3 regularly occurring MS hummingbirds | Fall/winter, mostly coastal |
| Broad-tailed | 3+ accepted records, most since 2020 | Not expected — but genuinely recurring |
| Calliope | 3 accepted records, all 2020-2021 | Not expected — but genuinely recurring |
| Anna's | 4 accepted records, 1994-2005 (coded Accidental) | Not expected — genuine rarity |
| Allen's | 1 accepted record (2005), Mississippi's only | Not expected — genuine one-off |
| Broad-billed | 1 accepted record (1998), Mississippi's only | Not expected — genuine one-off |
| Mexican Violetear | 1 accepted record (1999), Mississippi's only | Not expected — genuine one-off |
| White-eared | 1 accepted occurrence (1995-96), Mississippi's only | Not expected — genuine one-off |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many species of hummingbirds are in Mississippi?
Eleven species have been documented in Mississippi. Ruby-throated is a genuine year-round resident on the Gulf Coast; Black-chinned, Buff-bellied, and Rufous are regular migrant and winter visitors; Broad-tailed and Calliope are recurring rarities with records clustered since 2020; and Anna's, Allen's, Broad-billed, Mexican Violetear, and White-eared are each historic rarities.
Do hummingbirds stay in Mississippi through the winter?
Yes, on the Gulf Coast — the Mississippi Ornithological Society documents banding-confirmed Ruby-throated records in every month of the year in the six coastal counties, plus regular winter presence from Black-chinned, Buff-bellied, and Rufous Hummingbirds.
What's driving the recent rise in Broad-tailed and Calliope records?
Both species picked up multiple accepted, banded records concentrated in 2020 and 2021 — three each — a genuine, documented cluster rather than a single lucky sighting, though it's too soon to call either species regular.
For feeder setup, nectar ratios, and native plants that support these species, head back to our how-to-attract-hummingbirds-in-Mississippi guide.
Why We Created This
Pop's Birding has been helping hummingbird lovers for three generations. One of the questions our customers ask most often is "What hummingbirds are actually in my state?" — and for Mississippi's Gulf Coast, that answer includes a genuinely remarkable fact: banding records exist for Ruby-throated Hummingbird in every single month of the year. We built this page to give a direct, sourced answer to all of it, including a factual correction to a locality error that circulates for the state's Mexican Violetear record.
How We Created This
We pulled eBird bar chart data for Mississippi statewide to establish which species show a real, measurable presence at genuine statewide scale — meaning large, representative sample sizes, not a handful of local checklists. Only Ruby-throated cleared a meaningful bar; every other species measured well under 1% at that scale, including several regular species like Rufous and Buff-bellied whose true status rests on MBRC's own Review List records rather than raw eBird frequency, since much of the region's winter hummingbird activity lives in the committee's banding archive rather than public checklists. We cross-checked every rare and historic species directly against MBRC's Annual Reports, published in the Mississippi Kite journal, which is where we found the corrected locality for the state's Mexican Violetear record and confirmed exact dates for the 2020–2021 cluster of Broad-tailed and Calliope records.
Sources
- Mississippi Ornithological Society (MOS), Checklist of Birds of Mississippi (June 2022). Source for occurrence codes for all species on this page.
- Mississippi Bird Records Committee (MBRC), Review Species List (January 2026). Source for which species require documentation.
- MBRC Annual Report, Mississippi Kite 40(1) (2010). Source for individual accepted-record details, including Anna's, Allen's, Broad-billed, and Mexican Violetear.
- MBRC Annual Report, Mississippi Kite 53 (2023). Source for Broad-tailed's and Calliope's 2020-2021 accepted records.
- Woodrey, M.S. (2000), "10-Volume Index to the Mississippi Kite: 1991-2000," Mississippi Kite 30(2). Source for White-eared Hummingbird's 1995-96 occurrence and Buff-bellied's 1990s recurring pattern.
- Boyajian, Annotated Checklist for the Gulf Coast Counties (Mississippi Ornithological Society, 2019). Source for Ruby-throated's year-round coastal status.
- eBird bar chart data, Cornell Lab of Ornithology — Mississippi statewide.
Know before they arrive
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Shop Mississippi's Hummingbird Favorites
Bethany Sloan has served as General Manager of Pop's Birding since 2010, continuing the legacy of her grandfather, William "Pops" Sloan, inventor of the Original Hummingbird Swing. A lifelong hummingbird enthusiast, educator, and independent researcher, she leads the company's educational content, including its 50-State Hummingbird Guide series, Regional Guide, Species Guide and Hummingbird Learning Center. Bethany combines scientific research, regional migration data, and more than 16 years of hands-on experience to create trusted educational resources for bird enthusiasts across North America.
