How to attract ruby-throated hummingbirds to your yard
Ruby-throated 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 44 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 44, such as Alabama, Alberta, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida and 38 more, so set up before spring arrival.
Plant what ruby-throated hummingbirds use
These native plants are tied to the Ruby-throated 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa | Perennial | 42 | Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches. |
| Cardinal flower Lobelia cardinalis | Perennial | 38 | Scarlet late-summer spikes; a hummingbird magnet in moist soil. |
| Trumpet honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens | Vine | 37 | Native red tubular flowers timed to hummingbird arrival. |
| Trumpet creeper Campsis radicans | Vine | 30 | Large orange trumpets through midsummer. |
| Fireweed Chamaenerion angustifolium | Perennial | 21 | Tall magenta spikes are a key northern hummingbird flower. |
| Red buckeye Aesculus pavia | Shrub | 14 | Blooms right as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds return. |
| Coral bean Erythrina herbacea | Shrub | 10 | Red tubular spring flowers for early hummingbirds. |
| Golden currant Ribes aureum | Shrub | 9 | Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit. |
| Rocky Mountain bee plant Cleome serrulata | Perennial | 9 | Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall. |
| Scarlet gilia Ipomopsis aggregata | Perennial | 2 | Red trumpets for Broad-tailed and Rufous hummingbirds. |
Your list covers 3 plant layers (perennial, vine, shrub). Layering matters: mixing perennial, vine, shrub gives ruby-throated 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
Flower nectar and sugar water, plus small insects and spiders for protein.
- Warm months
- Nectar from tubular red and orange flowers; Gnats, mosquitoes and small spiders
- Cold months
- Winters in Central America and southern Mexico
- At feeders
- Sugar water: 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water, no dye
Feeder style matters as much as food: saucer-style nectar feeder is the first choice for this bird. Change nectar every 2 days in hot weather (under 80°F, every 4–5 days) and clean the feeder each refill. Males defend feeders aggressively; several feeders out of sight of each other help. Feeder guide →
Avoid:
- Honey, brown sugar, artificial sweeteners and red dye
Give it a place to nest
Natural site: Walnut-sized cup of plant down bound with spider silk, saddled on a downward-sloping branch.
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
- 1–3 eggs (usually 2)
- Incubation
- 12–14 days
- Nestling period
- 18–22 days
- Broods per year
- 1–2 per season
Timing shifts with latitude: nesting begins around March in Florida but not until June in Wisconsin. 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 ruby-throated hummingbirds to a yard?
Food they actually eat (sugar water: 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water, no dye), native plants such as Wild bergamot, Cardinal flower, Trumpet honeysuckle, clean water and suitable nesting cover: walnut-sized cup of plant down bound with spider silk, saddled on a downward-sloping branch.
What plants attract ruby-throated hummingbirds?
Across the Ruby-throated Hummingbird's range, the native plants most often tied to it are Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), Fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium). Choose the ones native to your state.
When should I set up my yard for nesting ruby-throated hummingbirds?
Nesting starts around March in Florida and as late as June in Wisconsin. Have cover, water ready a month before.
What should I not feed ruby-throated hummingbirds?
Honey, brown sugar, artificial sweeteners and red dye.
Sources
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Ruby-throated 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.