Hummingbirds For Mom

My boyfriend recently asked me if hummingbirds only breed within their own species.  At the time of his question, I told him that I wasn’t certain of my answer and would have to do some research in order to accurately answer his question.  This is what has prompted me to write this post and the answer may surprise you as it did me.

It is in fact possible for various species of hummingbirds to breed together and create hybrid species.  Some of the species that can come together to do this include the following:  Anna’s, Black-chinned, Allen’s, Costa’s, Rufous, Calliope and Broad-tailed hummingbirds.  This is one fact that complicates the already difficult task of identifying hummingbirds and makes it even more challenging.