How to attract black-chinned hummingbirds to your yard
Black-chinned Hummingbirds respond to four things: the right food, the right plants, water and safe nesting cover. Here is what each means for this particular bird, drawn from its range across 14 states and provinces.
First: is it in your area, and when?
You can only attract a bird that passes through or lives near you, so start with timing. It arrives only to breed in 14, such as Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and 8 more, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what black-chinned hummingbirds use
These native plants are tied to the Black-chinned Hummingbird in our regional plant lists (Audubon Native Plants and state sources). The count shows how many states or provinces list the plant for this bird — higher means it works across more of the range. Pick the ones native where you live.
| Plant | Type | States | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden currant Ribes aureum | Shrub | 14 | Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit. |
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 14 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| Rocky Mountain bee plant Cleome serrulata | Perennial | 13 | Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall. |
| Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata | Perennial | 12 | Red trumpets for Broad-tailed and Rufous hummingbirds. |
| Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis | Perennial | 8 | Scarlet late-summer spikes; a hummingbird magnet in moist soil. |
| Rocky Mountain penstemon Penstemon strictus | Perennial | 7 | Blue-violet spikes favored by Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. |
| Desert willow Chilopsis linearis | Tree | 5 | Orchid-like flowers through summer for hummingbirds and orioles. |
| Fireweed Chamaenerion angustifolium | Perennial | 5 | Tall magenta spikes are a key northern hummingbird flower. |
| Oregon grape Mahonia aquifolium | Shrub | 5 | Evergreen with yellow spring flowers and blue summer fruit. |
| Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens | Shrub | 4 | Red spring flower spikes timed to hummingbird and oriole migration. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, perennial, tree). Layering matters: mixing shrub, perennial, tree gives black-chinned hummingbirds food, perches and cover at different heights. Leave seed heads and fruit standing into winter instead of cutting back in fall.
Offer the food it actually eats
Nectar and small insects.
- Warm months
- Nectar and gnats
- Cold months
- Winters in western Mexico
- At feeders
- Sugar water 1:4
Feeder style matters as much as food: saucer nectar feeder is the first choice for this bird. The common summer hummingbird of Texas Hill Country and the desert Southwest; pumps its tail while hovering. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Tiny cup in riparian trees.
It does not use nest boxes, so the way to host a nest is cover: keep dense native shrubs, vines or trees of the kind listed above, and avoid pruning them during the nesting season.
- Clutch
- 2 eggs
- Incubation
- 12–16 days
- Nestling period
- 21 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around March in Arizona but not until May in Wyoming. Don't trim shrubs or clean boxes during those months.
Water, safety and patience
- A shallow bath (1–2 in deep) with a rough bottom, refreshed every 2–3 days; a dripper or heater makes it far more attractive in summer heat and winter freeze.
- Place feeders within 3 ft of windows or more than 30 ft away to cut window strikes, and keep cats indoors.
- Skip pesticides — most backyard birds feed insects to their nestlings, even seed-eaters.
- Give it time. New feeders and plantings can take days to weeks to be found; a summer breeder won't appear until it returns in spring.
Frequently asked
What attracts black-chinned hummingbirds to a yard?
Food they actually eat (sugar water 1:4), native plants such as Golden currant, Wild bergamot, Rocky Mountain bee plant, clean water and suitable nesting cover: tiny cup in riparian trees.
What plants attract black-chinned hummingbirds?
Across the Black-chinned Hummingbird's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Golden currant (Ribes aureum), Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Rocky Mountain bee plant (Cleome serrulata), Scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata), Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting black-chinned hummingbirds?
Nesting starts around March in Arizona and as late as May in Wyoming. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Black-chinned Hummingbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-chinned Hummingbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-chinned Hummingbird — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- Audubon Native Plants Database
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.