The Meaning of Hummingbird: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the meaning of the hummingbird? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the hummingbird, including the meaning of this creature in spirituality and resurrection, hummingbird symbolism, and what the movement of hummingbirds mean!

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What does the hummingbird mean and symbolize?

According to Woot and Hammy and Birdwatching Buzz, the hummingbird is a small creature that drinks nectar from flowers. These birds are found throughout North and Central America and are not found in the wild in Africa or Asia. Some believe that they originated in Europe. Hummingbirds have fast-moving wings, bright colors, and are able to fly backwards. They can hover in the air, and their wings beat up to 80 times per second, making them sound like they are humming in a bee or insect-like way. The smallest hummingbird is the bee hummingbird from Cubs, which is only 5 centimeters in length. 

Hummingbirds are a symbol of joy and happiness, and remind us to live in the moment and enjoy life’s simple pleasures with their carefree and happy flight. They appear out of nowhere, and remind us to always be seeking out what’s good in life with their long, thin beaks. They are also a symbol of tenacity and endurance. They remind  us to seek out the magic in life. They can flap their feathers in an infinity symbol or figure 8 and are thus a symbol of eternity, and are a symbol of good luck and sign of good luck and enjoyment in the future. Some people might wear a hummingbird charm or talisman to remind them of this pursuit of the destination of happiness, vigor and sweetness.

Hummingbirds are present as totem animals and a spirit guide in many different cultures and folklore legends. In Native American culture, they are seen as healers and bringers of love, good luck and joy, and the Native American tribes see them as a messenger. Aztecs saw hummingbirds as messengers between them and their ancestors or the gods. Huitzilopochtli is the patron god of the former Aztec capital Tenochtitlan but he is also the God of War. To this day, they remain a sign of love in Central America. In Christianity, while there is no mention of them in the bible, hummingbirds are considered a messenger from heaven or a sign from the beyond that a loved one is doing fine, as well as a sign from Angels. Hummingbird symbolism and characteristics are powerful in many different cultures from the Mayans, to the people of Trinidad and Tobago to the Incas to the people of Mexico and other places in the Americas. Do you have a hummingbird spirit animal or hummingbird power animal? 

What are different types of hummingbirds?

There are numerous different breeds of hummingbirds. Below is a list of hummingbirds found in North America alongside their scientific name, from Bird Watching.

  •  Magnificent Hummingbird – Eugenes fulgens
  •  Blue-throated Hummingbird – Lampornis clemenciae
  •  White-eared Hummingbird – Hylocharis leucotis
  •  Berylline Hummingbird – Amazilia beryllina
  •  Violet-crowned Hummingbird – Amazilia violiceps
  •  Anna’s Hummingbird – Calypte anna
  •  Broad-tailed Hummingbird – Selasphorus platycercus
  •  Allen’s Hummingbird – Selasphorus sasin
  •  Bahama Woodstar – Calliphlox evelynae
  •  Lucifer Hummingbird – Calothorax lucifer
  •  Rufous Hummingbird – Selasphorus rufus
  •  Black-chinned Hummingbird – Archilochus alexandri
  •  Xantus’s Hummingbird – Hylocharis xantusii
  •  Costa’s Hummingbird – Calypte costae
  •  Plain-capped Starthroat – Heliomaster constantii
  •  Cinnamon Hummingbird – Amazilia rutila
  •  Ruby-throated Hummingbird – Archilochus colubris
  •  Broad-billed Hummingbird – Cynanthus latirostris
  •  Bumblebee Hummingbird – Atthis heloisa
  •  Buff-bellied Hummingbird – Amazilia yucatanensis
  •  Calliope Hummingbird – Stellula calliope

What other types of birds are found in North America?

There are hundreds of different birds found in North America besides the hummingbird. Have you seen any of the below in real life? 

  • Elegant Trogon – Trogon elegans
  • Lesser Black-backed Gull – Larus fuscus
  • Red-crowned Parrot – Amazona viridigenalis
  • Northern Shrike – Lanius excubitor
  • Purple Finch – Carpodacus purpureus
  • Phainopepla – Phainopepla nitens
  • Hooded Oriole – Icterus cucullatus
  • Gray Partridge – Perdix perdix
  • Black-billed Cuckoo – Coccyzus erythropthalmus
  • Brown-chested Martin – Progne tapera
  • Eastern Meadowlark – Sturnella magna
  • Wrentit – Chamaea fasciata
  • MacGillivray’s Warbler – Oporornis tolmiei
  • Steller’s Jay – Cyanocitta stelleri
  • Semipalmated Sandpiper – Calidris pusilla
  • Harris’s Hawk – Parabuteo unicinctus
  • Bay-breasted Warbler – Dendroica castanea
  • California Condor – Gymnogyps californianus
  • White-tailed Hawk – Buteo albicaudatus
  • White-winged Tern – Chlidonias leucopterus
  • Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow – Ammodramus caudacutus
  • Northern Flicker – Colaptes auratus
  • Great Egret – Ardea alba
  • Mottled Duck – Anas fulvigula
  • Spotted Owl – Strix occidentalis
  • Wandering Albatross – Diomedea exulans
  • White-crowned Sparrow – Zonotrichia leucophrys
  • Marbled Murrelet – Brachyramphus marmoratus
  • Common Ringed Plover – Charadrius hiaticula
  • Loggerhead Shrike – Lanius ludovicianus
  • Horned Grebe – Podiceps auritus
  • Heermann’s Gull – Larus heermanni
  • Mugimaki Flycatcher – Ficedula mugimaki
  • Island Scrub-Jay – Aphelocoma insularis
  • Mourning Warbler – Oporornis philadelphia
  • Short-tailed Shearwater – Puffinus tenuirostris
  • Mountain Quail – Oreortyx pictus
  • Canvasback – Aythya valisineria
  • Eastern Bluebird – Sialia sialis
  • Rock Sandpiper – Calidris ptilocnemis
  • Labrador Duck – Camptorhynchus labradorius
  • Pacific-slope Flycatcher – Empidonax difficilis
  • Lewis’s Woodpecker – Melanerpes lewis
  • Belted Kingfisher – Ceryle alcyon
  • Spotted Dove – Streptopelia chinensis
  • Golden-fronted Woodpecker – Melanerpes aurifrons
  • Mexican Jay – Aphelocoma ultramarina
  • Common Rosefinch – Carpodacus erythrinus
  • Eastern Kingbird – Tyrannus tyrannus
  • Surfbird – Aphriza virgata
  • Blue Mockingbird – Melanotis caerulescens
  • Red-faced Warbler – Cardellina rubrifrons
  • Mew Gull – Larus canus
  • Red-naped Sapsucker – Sphyrapicus nuchalis
  • White-collared Swift – Streptoprocne zonaris
  • Caspian Tern – Sterna caspia
  • Hudsonian Godwit – Limosa haemastica
  • Eurasian Curlew – Numenius arquata
  • Red-whiskered Bulbul – Pycnonotus jocosus
  • Turkey Vulture – Cathartes aura
  • Brown Jay – Cyanocorax morio
  • Short-tailed Albatross – Phoebastria albatrus
  • Garganey – Anas querquedula
  • Black Oystercatcher – Haematopus bachmani
  • Long-billed Dowitcher – Limnodromus scolopaceus
  • Red Crossbill – Loxia curvirostra
  • Eastern Screech-Owl – Otus asio
  • Common Swift – Apus apus
  • Red-headed Woodpecker – Melanerpes erythrocephalus
  • Yellow-breasted Bunting – Emberiza aureola
  • Eastern Wood-Pewee – Contopus virens
  • Barnacle Goose – Branta leucopsis
  • Common Murre – Uria aalge
  • Wilson’s Phalarope – Phalaropus tricolor
  • Baird’s Sandpiper – Calidris bairdii
  • Steller’s Eider – Polysticta stelleri
  • Buff-collared Nightjar – Caprimulgus ridgwayi
  • White-winged Scoter – Melanitta fusca
  • Little Stint – Calidris minuta
  • Summer Tanager – Piranga rubra
  • Great Auk – Pinguinus impennis
  • Little Bunting – Emberiza pusilla
  • Xantus’s Murrelet – Synthliboramphus hypoleucus
  • Yellow-crowned Night-Heron – Nyctanassa violacea
  • Vaux’s Swift – Chaetura vauxi
  • Bachman’s Sparrow – Aimophila aestivalis
  • Veery – Catharus fuscescens
  • House Finch – Carpodacus mexicanus
  • Eurasian Blackbird – Turdus merula
  • Black-chinned Sparrow – Spizella atrogularis
  • Parakeet Auklet – Aethia psittacula

Overall, the spiritual meaning of hummingbirds is strong. They symbolize perseverance to overcome obstacles in difficult times, devotion and the emotions of attraction/affection.

Sources:

  1. The 914 Birds Found in North America | Bird Watching 
  2. Hummingbird Meaning | What Does a Hummingbird Symbolize? | woot & hammy 
  3. Hummingbird Symbolism: A Guide to Their Meaning | Birdwatching BuzzÂ