BirdAnalyst
Species · BBS 2025 Release · 1966–2024

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

TrochilidaeForest birdsArchilochus colubris

Ruby-throated Hummingbird has increased: up 28% on the route-weighted index since 1968.

+28%Since 1968TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
2,251RoutesSurvey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
58Years SurveyedYears surveyedNumber of years with at least one standard-protocol run in this geography. A longer record makes the trend more reliable.Full methodology →

About the Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The only hummingbird that breeds widely in the East, the tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird crosses the Gulf of Mexico on migration and visits flowers and feeders for nectar.

Size
3–3.5 in long, about 0.1 oz (7–9 cm, 3 g)
Habitat
Woodlands and forest edges, including wooded suburbs and parks.
Diet
Flower nectar and small insects and spiders.
Range
Recorded on 2,251 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 37 states, most concentrated in the Appalachian Mountains.
Family
Trochilidae · Forest birds
Conservation
Least Concern

Notable Ruby-throated Hummingbird TrendsNotable signalsLong-arc shifts the engine flags automatically — sustained declines or increases large enough to stand out from year-to-year noise.Full methodology →

No notable trend signals for Ruby-throated Hummingbird. See the full index history below.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Population Forecast

If the recent trend holds, Ruby-throated Hummingbird is projected to rise about 53% by 2029 — from 0.32 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.49 (95% range 0.39–0.58). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.1%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.

+53%Change by 2029TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →
0.49Projected 2029 indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →
0.39–0.5895% range95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
±23.1%Backtest errorBacktest errorTypical error when we hold out the most recent years, forecast them, and compare to what actually happened. Lower means a more trustworthy projection.Full methodology →
If the recent trend holds, Ruby-throated Hummingbird is projected to rise about 53% by 2029 — from 0.32 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.49 (95% range 0.39–0.58). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±23.1%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.19662029
Projection of the recent trend (dashed) with 80/95% bands — a projection, not a prediction. Habitat, climate, and land use are not modeled.
YearProjected indexProjected indexThe central forecast of the abundance index if the recent trend continues. A projection of the current trajectory, not a prediction.Full methodology →95% low95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →95% high95% rangeThe 95% uncertainty band around the projection at the forecast horizon. The true value should land inside it most of the time.Full methodology →
20250.470.380.57
20260.470.380.57
20270.480.390.57
20280.480.390.58
20290.490.390.58

Where the Ruby-throated Hummingbird Is Detected

BBS routes recording Ruby-throated Hummingbird, sized by most recent count.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Population Trend by State

Ruby-throated Hummingbird population trend by state.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Alabama+67%1968100
Arkansas-11%196957
Connecticut+126%197319
Delaware+188%196817
Florida-17%196866
Georgia-23%1968102
Illinois14×196895
Indiana-23%196864
Iowa+391%197021
Kansas+460%196933
Kentucky+27%196864
Louisiana+22%196987
Maine-15%196972
Maryland+169%196871
Massachusetts+371%196931
Michigan+337%196998
Minnesota+94%196970
Mississippi+47%196866
Missouri+486%196990
Nebraskainsufficient datan/a6
New Hampshire+119%196826
New Jersey+330%197031
New York+145%1968119
North Carolina+52%1968107
North Dakota+1%19828
Ohio+338%196884
Oklahoma-44%196948
Pennsylvania+404%1968130
Rhode Island+251%19915
South Carolina-65%196847
South Dakotainsufficient datan/a1
Tennessee+138%196855
Texas-28%196991
Vermont+11%196826
Virginia+98%196885
West Virginia+53%196862
Wisconsin+280%196897

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Population Trend by Region

Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird population trend by Bird Conservation Region.
TrendPercent change in the route-weighted abundance index between a smoothed baseline window and the most recent one. It tracks direction, not absolute population.Full methodology →Baseline yearThe first year of the smoothed window the trend is measured from. An earlier baseline means a longer record stands behind the number.Full methodology →Survey routesHow many standard-protocol BBS routes contributed counts. More routes means a steadier, better-sampled index; very thin coverage is suppressed.Full methodology →
Prairie Potholes-40%197523
Boreal Hardwood Transition+306%1968118
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain+157%196881
Atlantic Northern Forest+34%1968148
Central Mixed Grass Prairie-63%196922
Oaks and Prairies-40%196957
Eastern Tallgrass Prairie+419%1968239
Prairie Hardwood Transition+197%1968155
Central Hardwoods+168%1968164
West Gulf Coastal Plain / Ouachitas-17%1969103
Mississippi Alluvial Valley-44%196866
Southeastern Coastal Plain+28%1968313
Appalachian Mountains+141%1968392
Piedmont+58%1968154
New England / Mid-Atlantic Coast+150%1968144
Peninsular Florida-75%197034
Gulf Coastal Prairie-77%197132

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Conservation Status

Least Concern

The IUCN Red List rates this species as Least Concern. Our route-weighted index shows it up about 28% since 1968.

Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.