How Is the Hummingbird Family Organized?

Hummingbird 101

Sep 10

If you have ever looked up a hummingbird and seen words like subfamily, clade, tribe, or genus attached to it, you might have wondered what all of those labels actually mean — and why there are so many of them. The hummingbird family is one of the most species-rich bird families on Earth, and scientists have developed a layered system to make sense of the roughly 375 species within it. Once you understand how that system works, the scientific names and category labels you see on field guides and checklists start to tell a real story about each bird.

This article walks through the scientific structure of Trochilidae, the hummingbird family, from the broadest groupings down to individual genera. No prior science background needed.

What Is Trochilidae?

Trochilidae is the scientific name for the hummingbird family. It was formally introduced in 1825 by Irish zoologist Nicholas Aylward Vigors, using the genus Trochilus as its anchor. The name traces back to the ancient Greek trochilos, referring to a small, quick bird.

As of 2025, Trochilidae contains approximately 375 species across roughly 113 genera. Every one of those species is found exclusively in the Americas, from Alaska to the southern tip of South America. The family ranks third in species diversity among all bird families in the world, behind only the tyrant flycatchers and the tanagers.

All of those species live under one roof — the family Trochilidae — but they do not all sit at the same level within it. The family is organized into layers: subfamilies, then tribes or clades, then genera, and finally individual species.

Subfamilies: The Broadest Divisions Within the Family

A subfamily is the first major division below the family level. Think of it as a large neighborhood within the hummingbird city. Trochilidae is currently divided into six subfamilies, though you will still see older sources that list just two. The six-subfamily system reflects more recent molecular research and is now widely used.

The six subfamilies are:

Phaethornithinae (the hermits) — roughly 34 species of long-billed, forest-interior hummingbirds that typically follow fixed flight routes called trap lines through dense tropical habitat. They tend toward brown and buff tones rather than iridescent color.
Florisuginae (the topazes and jacobins) — a small but ancient group containing some of the most striking hummingbirds in South America, including the Crimson Topaz and the Black Jacobin. This subfamily represents one of the oldest branches of the family tree.
Polytminae (the mangoes) — a diverse group found across the Caribbean and mainland Americas, including the well-known Black-throated Mango and several of the Antillean island species.
Lesbiinae (the brilliants and coquettes) — a large Andean-centered group containing the brilliants (large, jewel-encrusted hummingbirds of mountain forests) and the coquettes (tiny, ornate hummingbirds with elaborate crests and plumes).
Patagoninae (the giant hummingbird) — a subfamily of one. The Giant Hummingbird (Patagona gigas) is so distinct from all other hummingbirds that it occupies its own subfamily. It is the largest hummingbird species alive, reaching up to 23 centimeters in length.
Trochilinae (the mountain gems, bees, and emeralds) — the largest subfamily, containing three tribes and well over 150 species including most of the hummingbirds familiar to North American birdwatchers.

Tribes and Clades: The Layer Between Subfamily and Genus

Within some subfamilies, species are further organized into tribes or informally described as clades. A tribe is a formal rank sitting between subfamily and genus. A clade is a looser term used to describe any group of species that all descend from a single common ancestor, regardless of whether it has been given a formal rank.

Within the subfamily Trochilinae, three tribes are recognized:

Lampornithini (the mountain gems) — 18 species of mid-sized hummingbirds associated with montane and highland habitats, including the Blue-throated Mountain-gem and the White-bellied Mountain-gem.
Mellisugini (the bees) — approximately 37 species of very small hummingbirds, including the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae), the world's smallest bird, and the familiar Calliope, Ruby-throated, and Rufous Hummingbirds of North America.
Trochilini (the emeralds) — the largest tribe with approximately 115 species, covering a wide range of sizes and habitats. Many of the hummingbirds you will find in Central America and the Caribbean fall here.

The nine major clades identified by molecular research map closely onto these subfamilies and tribes. Those nine clades are: the topazes, the hermits, the mangoes, the coquettes, the brilliants, the giant hummingbird, the mountain gems, the bees, and the emeralds.

Genus: The Closest Relatives

A genus (plural: genera) is a tighter grouping within a tribe or subfamily. Species in the same genus are more closely related to each other than to species in any other genus. They usually share recognizable physical traits, behavioral patterns, or habitat preferences.

For example:

Selasphorus — contains 9 species of small, fast-moving hummingbirds including the Rufous, Allen's, and Calliope Hummingbirds
Archilochus — contains the Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, the two most familiar backyard hummingbirds of the eastern and western United States
Lophornis — contains the coquettes, tiny ornate hummingbirds known for their decorative crests and ruffs
Phaethornis — contains the hermits, long-billed forest hummingbirds of Central and South America

When you see a scientific name like Selasphorus rufus (Rufous Hummingbird), the first word is the genus and the second is the species. Together they form a unique address for that bird within the entire living world.

What This Means for Birdwatchers

You do not need to memorize every subfamily or tribe to enjoy hummingbirds. But knowing that this structure exists helps you read field guides and checklists with more confidence, and it can deepen your appreciation for what you are looking at.

When you see a Ruby-throated Hummingbird at a feeder, you are looking at a member of the bee clade (Mellisugini), in the subfamily Trochilinae, in the family Trochilidae. Its closest relatives include other small North American hummingbirds in the genus Archilochus and Selasphorus. Its most distant relatives within the same family are the hermits — the long-billed, forest-dwelling hummingbirds of South America whose lineage split from the rest of the family very early on.

The structure of Trochilidae is also a reminder of how much diversity the family holds. A 23-centimeter Giant Hummingbird soaring over Andean scrub and a 5-centimeter Bee Hummingbird hovering at a Cuban flower are both members of the same family. That range of form, size, and habitat within a single family is remarkable, and the scientific classification system is the map that helps us navigate all of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you are still sorting out how the hummingbird family is organized, the questions below cover what most people wonder about first.

Current classification recognizes six subfamilies: Phaethornithinae (hermits), Florisuginae (topazes and jacobins), Polytminae (mangoes), Lesbiinae (brilliants and coquettes), Patagoninae (the giant hummingbird), and Trochilinae (mountain gems, bees, and emeralds). Older sources may list just two subfamilies, reflecting the classification used before modern genetic studies.
A clade is any group of species that all descend from a single common ancestor. Molecular research has identified nine major clades within Trochilidae: the topazes, hermits, mangoes, coquettes, brilliants, the giant hummingbird, mountain gems, bees, and emeralds. These clades largely align with the current six-subfamily system.
A subfamily is a broader grouping that sits just below the family level. A tribe is a narrower grouping that sits within a subfamily. Not all subfamilies have tribes. The subfamily Trochilinae, for example, is divided into three tribes: Lampornithini (mountain gems), Mellisugini (bees), and Trochilini (emeralds).
New genetic and molecular research continues to reveal relationships between species that were not visible from physical traits alone. As scientists sequence more hummingbird DNA and refine their analysis, some genera get split, others get merged, and the placement of species within subfamilies is adjusted. This is a normal and ongoing part of taxonomy.
Many of the hummingbirds most familiar to North American birdwatchers fall in the genus Selasphorus (Rufous, Allen's, Calliope, and others) or Archilochus (Ruby-throated and Black-chinned). Both genera belong to the bee clade, Mellisugini, within the subfamily Trochilinae.