How to attract broad-tailed hummingbirds to your yard
Broad-tailed 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 8 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 8, such as Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and 2 more, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what broad-tailed hummingbirds use
These native plants are tied to the Broad-tailed 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 | 8 | Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit. |
| Rocky Mountain bee plant Cleome serrulata | Perennial | 8 | Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall. |
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 8 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| Rocky Mountain penstemon Penstemon strictus | Perennial | 7 | Blue-violet spikes favored by Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. |
| Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata | Perennial | 7 | Red trumpets for Broad-tailed and Rufous hummingbirds. |
| Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis | Perennial | 6 | Scarlet late-summer spikes; a hummingbird magnet in moist soil. |
| Desert willow Chilopsis linearis | Tree | 4 | Orchid-like flowers through summer for hummingbirds and orioles. |
| Ocotillo Fouquieria splendens | Shrub | 3 | Red spring flower spikes timed to hummingbird and oriole migration. |
| California fuchsia Epilobium canum | Perennial | 2 | Late-season red flowers when other nectar is scarce. |
| Fireweed Chamaenerion angustifolium | Perennial | 2 | Tall magenta spikes are a key northern hummingbird flower. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (shrub, perennial, tree). Layering matters: mixing shrub, perennial, tree gives broad-tailed 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 insects.
- Warm months
- Nectar from penstemon and scarlet gilia
- Cold months
- Winters in Mexico
- At feeders
- Sugar water 1:4
Feeder style matters as much as food: saucer nectar feeder is the first choice for this bird. Breeds at 6,000–10,000 ft; can drop body temperature overnight to survive frosty mountain nights. Feeder guide →
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Cup on a low branch under cover.
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
- 16–19 days
- Nestling period
- 21–26 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around May in Arizona but not until July 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 broad-tailed hummingbirds to a yard?
Food they actually eat (sugar water 1:4), native plants such as Golden currant, Rocky Mountain bee plant, Wild bergamot, clean water and suitable nesting cover: cup on a low branch under cover.
What plants attract broad-tailed hummingbirds?
Across the Broad-tailed Hummingbird's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Golden currant (Ribes aureum), Rocky Mountain bee plant (Cleome serrulata), Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Rocky Mountain penstemon (Penstemon strictus), Scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting broad-tailed hummingbirds?
Nesting starts around May in Arizona and as late as July in Wyoming. Have cover, water ready a month before.
Sources
- Broad-tailed Hummingbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Broad-tailed Hummingbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Broad-tailed 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.