Hummingbirds in Rhode Island

The tiny state of Rhode Island plays host to tiny visitors each year. These visitors are two species of hummingbirds, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird and the Rufous Hummingbird. Of the two species of hummingbirds in Rhode Island, the Ruby-throated is most common and in 1954, this species had the honor of being nominated for state bird. Unfortunately, for hummingbird enthusiasts in Rhode Island, this beautiful bird got beat by a chicken.

Even though the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is not Rhode Island's state bird, it is a beautiful and interesting bird to watch. The male of this species is the most colorful and probably the most widely known. His prominent features are his ruby-red throat and his glistening green back and head. The female Ruby-throated Hummingbird has the same glistening green back and head as the male, but this is where the similarities end. The female Ruby-throated Hummingbird has a grayish white throat and white tipped tail feathers, which the male does not have.

The less commonly seen hummingbird species in Rhode Island is the Rufous Hummingbird. The prominent features of this species are rufous color of the male's face, chest, flanks, back and rump as well as his orange-red throat. The female Rufous Hummingbird has a metallic bronze-green back, with a slightly duller head, a white chin, throat and chest and its sides and flanks are rufous.