Aug 31, 2026
Hummingbirds in Missouri: The Complete Guide to All 10 Species
Missouri's own bird records committee runs a five-tier system for how often a species shows up — common, uncommon, rare, casual, accidental — and Rufous Hummingbird is the only western species in the state to rate anything better than "casual." One dependable statewide breeder, one genuinely annual visitor, two recurring rarities, and six species documented exactly once or twice make up Missouri's ten confirmed hummingbirds.
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All 10 species, one page
This page covers every hummingbird confirmed in Missouri, 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 Missouri species guideOne page · PDF · free to print and share
All 10 documented Missouri hummingbird species, grouped by tier — cross-checked against the Missouri Bird Records Committee's (MBRC) official Annotated Checklist and Annual Reports.
The Hummingbird You're Most Likely to See
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Breeds Here
MBRC's Annotated Checklist codes it a common summer resident and, separately, an accidental winter visitor — the latest documented stragglers reach only mid-December, with zero confirmed January or February records on file. Unlike several southern states in this series, Missouri does not have a real wintering Ruby-throated population; the species leaves. It's also, by a wide margin, the hummingbird filling Missouri feeders from spring through fall.
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
Missouri's only breeding hummingbird has the run of your yard from spring through fall — a nearby perch gives it a place to rest and watch without giving up feeder territory.
Shop Charm Redwood Swing →Missouri's Genuinely Annual Visitor
Rufous Hummingbird Migrant/Winter
MBRC codes Rufous "Rare" — in Missouri's own five-tier system, that means more than 15 records and usually observed annually. Every other western hummingbird on this page rates Accidental or Casual; Rufous alone clears the bar for a genuinely expected, if scarce, yearly visitor.
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 Rufous
Rufous is Missouri's most reliable western visitor, usually turning up after Ruby-throated has already headed south for the year — a second feeder in a different spot means it isn't just picking over what's left behind in an emptying yard.
Shop AspenPerch® Feeder →Missouri's Recurring Rarities
Anna's Hummingbird Rare / Casual Visitor
MBRC codes Anna's "Casual" — Missouri's own definition is 5 to 15 records, occasionally observed. Real, if infrequent, recurrence rather than a one-off vagrant.
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.
Black-chinned Hummingbird Rare / Casual Visitor
At least three accepted records: an immature female banded and photographed in Farmington, St. Francois County, in December 2004, and a female in Wildwood, St. Louis County, from October to December 2022 — officially Missouri's third record, meaning a second record between the two is confirmed to exist even though its exact date wasn't independently located. Genuinely recurring, with the most recent record only a few years old.
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.
Make Your Sanctuary Worth a Detour
Anna's and Black-chinned are rare enough in Missouri that a feeder alone might not hold their attention — real electrolytes and calcium beyond plain sugar water give a wandering rarity a genuine reason to stay long enough to be seen.
Shop Nectarlyte® Powder →If You're Lucky: Missouri's Historic Rarities
Six more species have been formally accepted by the Missouri Bird Records Committee — real, documented occurrences, each a single event or a widely separated pair rather than a recurring pattern.
Broad-billed Hummingbird Historic / Accidental
Missouri's only accepted record: an adult male photographed at a feeder in Holden, Johnson County, over two days in late May 2021 — the state's first, and so far only, confirmed Broad-billed Hummingbird.
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.
Calliope Hummingbird Historic / Accidental
Two accepted records, both photographed and banded immature males: one in Columbia, Boone County, in October and November 2002, and one in Ozark, Christian County, in November 2014. Twelve years apart, with nothing since — a genuine but dated pattern.
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.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird Historic / Accidental
Missouri's only accepted record: an adult male photographed and banded in Farmington, St. Francois County, in June 2008 by a certified Missouri hummingbird bander. Nothing recorded before or since.
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.
Allen's Hummingbird Historic / Accidental
Missouri's only accepted record: an immature male banded in Fenton, St. Louis County, in November 2008, with full in-hand measurements on file. 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.
Mexican Violetear Historic / Accidental
Missouri's only accepted record: a bird at a feeder in Reynolds County, videotaped over more than a week in late June and early July 1993, originally documented under the former name Green Violetear. 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.
Rivoli's Hummingbird Historic / Accidental
Missouri's only accepted record: a female or immature male videotaped at a private residence in Oldfield, Christian County, in June 2020 — the state's first, and so far only, confirmed Rivoli's Hummingbird.
Quick ID: One of the largest North American hummingbirds. Adult males show a black-looking body that flashes an iridescent violet crown and emerald-green throat at the right angle. Females are large, dull grayish-green birds with a pale eyebrow stripe and a white spot behind the eye.
Give Every Visitor a Reason to Stay
Broad-billed, Calliope, Broad-tailed, Allen's, Mexican Violetear, and Rivoli's are all historic, once-in-a-lifetime Missouri records — real native nectar sources planted now are what turn any future rarity's brief stop into a longer stay, common breeder and accidental visitor alike.
Shop Wildflower Seed →Missouri Hummingbirds at a Glance
Ruby-throated's dominance here isn't a close call — statewide eBird frequency peaks near 45.2%, 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 | Missouri Records | Best Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby-throated | Only breeder; nearly every sighting | April through October, statewide |
| Rufous | "Rare" per MBRC — 15+ records, usually annual | Fall and winter, statewide |
| Anna's | "Casual" per MBRC — 5-15 records | Not expected — but genuinely recurring |
| Black-chinned | 3+ accepted records, most recent 2022 | Not expected — but genuinely recurring |
| Broad-billed | 1 accepted record (2021), Missouri's only | Not expected — genuine one-off |
| Calliope | 2 accepted records, 2002 and 2014 | Not expected — genuine rarity |
| Broad-tailed | 1 accepted record (2008), Missouri's only | Not expected — genuine one-off |
| Allen's | 1 accepted record (2008), Missouri's only | Not expected — genuine one-off |
| Mexican Violetear | 1 accepted record (1993), Missouri's only | Not expected — genuine one-off |
| Rivoli's | 1 accepted record (2020), Missouri's only | Not expected — genuine one-off |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many species of hummingbirds are in Missouri?
Ten species have been documented in Missouri. Ruby-throated is the only breeder, Rufous is the only western species rated "Rare" (annual) by the state's records committee, Anna's and Black-chinned are recurring rarities, and Broad-billed, Calliope, Broad-tailed, Allen's, Mexican Violetear, and Rivoli's are each historic one- or two-time records.
Do Ruby-throated Hummingbirds stay in Missouri for the winter?
No — Missouri's records committee codes Ruby-throated an accidental winter visitor, with documented stragglers reaching only mid-December and zero confirmed January or February records. Unlike Ruby-throated populations further south, Missouri's birds leave for the winter.
What is Missouri's rarest documented hummingbird?
Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Allen's, Mexican Violetear, and Rivoli's Hummingbirds are tied for rarest, each with exactly one accepted Missouri record and nothing recorded before or since.
Is Rufous Hummingbird common in Missouri?
It's the most reliable western hummingbird in the state — Missouri's records committee rates it "Rare," meaning more than 15 records and usually observed annually, the only western species to clear that bar. Every other western species rates Casual or Accidental.
For feeder setup, nectar ratios, and native plants that support these species, head back to our how-to-attract-hummingbirds-in-Missouri guide. For arrival and departure windows, see the Missouri hummingbird calendar.
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 Missouri, that answer includes a genuinely useful distinction: the state's own five-tier system for rating how often a species occurs, which sets Rufous apart as the one western hummingbird actually worth watching for every year. We built this page to give a direct, sourced answer to all of it.
How We Created This
We pulled eBird bar chart data for Missouri 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 Rufous, whose "Rare" (annual) rating comes from the Missouri Bird Records Committee's own accepted-record count rather than raw eBird frequency. We cross-checked every rare and historic species directly against MBRC's official Annotated Checklist and its published Annual Reports, which is how we confirmed exact record counts, dates, and locations for species like Allen's and Broad-tailed that show zero signal in eBird's own data but are genuinely accepted, committee-documented Missouri species.
Sources
- Missouri Bird Records Committee (MBRC), Annotated Checklist of Missouri Birds. Source for occurrence codes and accepted-record counts for all species on this page.
- Missouri Bird Records Committee, Annual Reports. Source for individual accepted-record details, including Broad-billed's 2021 Holden record and Rivoli's 2020 Oldfield record.
- eBird bar chart data, Cornell Lab of Ornithology — Missouri statewide.
Know before they arrive
You don't have to keep this calendar taped to the fridge. Insider Birding Access members get seasonal notes timed to your region — when to have feeders out, what the birds are doing right now, and what's worth doing in your yard this season. We take the guesswork out of the calendar. Joining takes about thirty seconds, and there's 10% off your first order in it.
Join Insider Birding Access →Free to join. 10% off your first order.
Shop Missouri'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.
