Travel Tale: A Rufous Hummer in Indiana A Few Hummingbird Facts Over the past 26 years, there were 42 verified sightings of rufous hummingbirds in Indiana. Ten of those were in the last year alone. Journey North receives more reports of rufous hummingbirds being out of their normal range than of ruby-throated hummers being out of range. 15 species of hummingbirds breed west of the Rockies; 1 species breeds east of the Rockies. Rufous hummingbirds typically overwinter in cooler regions than rubythroats do. More rufous hummingbirds were reported across the continent during the February 2006 Great Backyard Bird Count than during any of the last 8 years. Rufous hummingbirds, which breed in the western U.S. and Canada, are being seen more and more often during winter in the East. Hummingbird feeding has become more popular during the last 10 to 15 years.   Search Journey North Copyright 1997-2012 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Questions or comments? Contact us.