Biology:List of hummingbird genera

This is a list of hummingbird genera arranged alphabetically by subfamily. The "List of hummingbirds" page has a complete species list that is sortable by common and binomial name. Taxonomic lists of genera and species are available at the subfamily pages Phaethornithinae and Trochilinae.

Subfamily Phaethornithinae

Hermit hummingbirds. Relatively dull. Iridescence slight and typically limited to the upperparts. Most have a dark face and elongated central rectrices with white, buff or ochraceous tips. Long bills slightly decurved in most species, but much variation across group.

• Genus Anopetia – broad-tipped hermit
• Genus Eutoxeres – sicklebills (2 species)
• Genus Glaucis (3 species)
• Genus Phaethornis – typical hermits (about 27 species)
• Genus Ramphodon – saw-billed hermit
• Genus Threnetes – barbthroats (2-4 species, depending on taxonomy)

Subfamily Trochilinae

Male rufous hummingbird
Selasphorus rufus

Male ruby-throated hummingbird
Archilochus colubris

Male violet sabrewing
Campylopterus hemileucurus

Typical hummingbirds. An incredible range of colors, shapes and sizes. Bills vary wildly. Sexes usually quite different in color; females often have metallic green upperparts and spangles on their white underside.

• Genus Abeillia – emerald-chinned hummingbird
• Genus Adelomyia – speckled hummingbird
• Genus Aglaeactis – sunbeams (4 species)
• Genus Aglaiocercus – sylphs (3 species)
• Genus Amazilia (30 species)
  • Agyrtria group – Agyrtria emeralds
  • Polyerata group – Polyerata emeralds
  • Saucerottia group - Saucerottia emeralds (probably one recently extinct subspecies)
• Genus Androdon – tooth-billed hummingbird
• Genus Anthocephala – blossomcrowns (2 species)
• Genus Anthracothorax – mangos (7 species)
• Genus Aphantochroa – sombre hummingbird
• Genus Archilochus (2 species)
• Genus Atthis (2 species)
• Genus Augastes – visorbearers (2 species)
• Genus Avocettula – fiery-tailed awlbill
• Genus Basilinna (2 species, recently split from Hylocharis)
• Genus Boissonneaua – coronets (3 species)
• Genus Calliphlox – Calliphlox woodstars (5 species)
• Genus Calothorax – Calothorax sheartails (2 species)
• Genus Calypte (2 species)
• Genus Campylopterus – sabrewings (12 species)
• Genus Chalybura – plumeleteers (2 species)
• Genus Chaetocercus – Chaetocercus woodstars (6 species)
• Genus Chalcostigma – Chalcostigma thornbills (5 species)
• Genus Chlorestes – blue-chinned sapphire
• Genus Chlorostilbon – typical emeralds (17 species, 2 recently extinct)

Male short-tailed emerald
Chlorostilbon portmanni

• Genus Chrysolampis – ruby-topaz hummingbird
• Genus Chrysuronia – golden-tailed sapphire
• Genus Clytolaema – Brazilian ruby
• Genus Coeligena – incas and starfrontlets (13 species)
• Genus Colibri – violet-ears (5 species)
• Genus Cyanophaia - blue-headed hummingbird
• Genus Cynanthus (4 species)
• Genus Damophila – violet-bellied hummingbird
• Genus Discosura – thorntails (5 species, possibly one recently extinct)
• Genus Doricha – typical sheartails (2 species)
• Genus Doryfera – lancebills (2 species)
• Genus Elvira – Elvira emeralds (2 species)
• Genus Ensifera – sword-billed hummingbird
• Genus Eriocnemis – typical pufflegs (12 species, one probably recently extinct)
• Genus Eugenes – 1 or 2 species
• Genus Eulampis – caribs (2 species)
• Genus Eulidia – Chilean woodstar
• Genus Eupetomena – swallow-tailed hummingbird
• Genus Eupherusa (4 species)
• Genus Eurotrochilus - prehistoric genus from Europe
• Genus Florisuga – jacobins (2 species)
• Genus Goethalsia – Pirre hummingbird
• Genus Goldmania – violet-capped hummingbird
• Genus Haplophaedia – Haplophaedia pufflegs (3 species)
• Genus Heliactin – horned sungem
• Genus Heliangelus – sunangels (9 species, one probably recently extinct)
• Genus Heliodoxa – brilliants (9 species)
• Genus Heliomaster – starthroats (4 species)
• Genus Heliothryx – fairies (2 species)
• Genus Hylocharis – typical sapphires (5 species)
• Genus Hylonympha – scissor-tailed hummingbird
• Genus Klais – violet-headed hummingbird
• Genus Lafresnaya – mountain velvetbreast
• Genus Lampornis – typical mountaingems (6-8 species)
• Genus Lamprolaima – garnet-throated hummingbird
• Genus Lepidopyga (3 species)
• Genus Lesbia – trainbearers (2 species)
• Genus Leucippus (4 species)
• Genus Leucochloris – white-throated hummingbird
• Genus Loddigesia – marvelous spatuletail
• Genus Lophornis – coquettes (10 species)
• Genus Mellisuga (2 species)
• Genus Metallura – metaltails (9 species)
• Genus Microchera – snowcap
• Genus Microstilbon – slender-tailed woodstar
• Genus Myrmia – short-tailed woodstar
• Genus Myrtis – purple-collared woodstar

Male purple-throated mountaingem
Lampornis calolaema

• Genus Ocreatus – booted racket-tails (3 or 4 species)
• Genus Opisthoprora – mountain avocetbill
• Genus Oreonympha – bearded mountaineer
• Genus Oreotrochilus – hillstars (6 species)
• Genus Orthorhyncus – Antillean crested hummingbird
• Genus Oxypogon – bearded helmetcrests (4 species)
• Genus Panterpe – fiery-throated hummingbird
• Genus Patagona – giant hummingbird
• Genus Phaeochroa – scaly-breasted hummingbird
• Genus Phlogophilus – piedtails (2 species)
• Genus Polyonymus – bronze-tailed comet
• Genus Polytmus – goldenthroats (3 species)
• Genus Pterophanes – great sapphirewing
• Genus Ramphomicron – typical thornbills (2 species)
• Genus Rhodopis – oasis hummingbird
• Genus Sappho – red-tailed comet
• Genus Schistes - wedgebills (1 or 2 species) (sometimes included in Augastes)
• Genus Selasphorus (7 species)
• Genus Sephanoides – firecrowns (2 species)
• Genus Stephanoxis – plovercrests (2 species)
• Genus Sternoclyta – violet-chested hummingbird
• Genus Taphrolesbia – gray-bellied comet
• Genus Taphrospilus - many-spotted hummingbird
• Genus Thalurania – woodnymphs (6 species)
• Genus Thaumastura – Peruvian sheartail
• Genus Tilmatura – sparkling-tailed woodstar
• Genus Topaza – topazes (2 species)
• Genus Trochilus – streamertails (2 species)
• Genus Urochroa – white-tailed hillstar
• Genus Urosticte – whitetips (2 species)