About 328 species of hummingbirds flit and flutter in the Western Hemisphere. Just 14 species regularly nest and raise young in the United States.
The 6 species below all include the United States in their breeding range. See if you can match the hummingbirds to their descriptions.
How to Play: Read each description, then drag the picture of the hummingbird it describes to the box. Do this puzzle with the sound on!
Anna's Hummingbird
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbird
Rivoli's Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Well done! If you want to read a bird's description again, just click on its picture in the box.
Play again Play a different gameThis is the only hummingbird that breeds in the eastern United States. When it migrates, it flies about 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico. If you know what color a ruby is, you can identify this hummingbird.
This hummingbird migrates farther north than any other hummingbird. Some travel about 3,900 miles from Mexico to Alaska to breed. “Rufous” means reddish-brown.
This hummingbird is the smallest bird in North America. It weighs only about 1/10 of an ounce—less than two paper clips! Its throat has streaks of purplish-pink feathers.
This hummingbird is a colorful hummingbird of the southwestern United States. At about 5 inches long, it’s one of the largest hummingbirds to migrate here. It has a purple head and green throat.
This hummingbird lives in deserts as well as mountain forests. It has a velvety-black chin and throat and a light-colored chest.
This hummingbird once bred only from southern California southward. Now, thanks to feeders and gardens, it breeds as far north as British Columbia. It has bright reddish-pink feathers on its throat and head.
Photos: Brian Kushner; Nathan Nitzky; Daniel Combs; Annie Katz; Alan Schmierer/Flickr (CC0 1.0); iStock; Stan Keiser.