Hummingbirds in New Mexico

Scouts reach New Mexico around March 25, a little earlier in the south of the state and later at elevation. Males travel ahead of females by a week or more and arrive before many native flowers open, so a feeder hung two weeks early, by March 11, gets used. Across 39 New Mexico cities in the NOAA 1991–2020 normals, the typical last spring freeze falls around April 16, after the first hummingbirds arrive. Expect a few frosty nights with birds already here; bring feeders in if they freeze and rehang them at first light.

Leaving feeders up does not keep hummingbirds from migrating; day length triggers departure. Adults leave first, then juveniles, and late stragglers from farther north pass through after your own birds have gone. In New Mexico most have left by October 15. Keep at least one feeder clean and filled until October 29, two weeks after the last bird you see. A few western hummingbirds turn up each winter here, so some people keep one feeder going all season.

Feeders bring hummingbirds in; flowers and the insects on them keep them nesting nearby. These natives grow in New Mexico (USDA 4b–9a):

• Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis): Scarlet late-summer spikes; a hummingbird magnet in moist soil.
• Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa): Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
• Golden currant (Ribes aureum): Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit.
• Rocky Mountain bee plant (Cleome serrulata): Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall.
• Scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata): Red trumpets for Broad-tailed and Rufous hummingbirds.
• Rocky Mountain penstemon (Penstemon strictus): Blue-violet spikes favored by Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.
• Desert willow (Chilopsis linearis): Orchid-like flowers through summer for hummingbirds and orioles.
• Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens): Red spring flower spikes timed to hummingbird and oriole migration.

A typical New Mexico city logs 116 nights at or below freezing. Sugar water at 1:4 freezes a few degrees below plain water, around 27°F. On colder nights, rotate two feeders, hang a feeder near a porch light or under eaves, or use a heated feeder made for the purpose. Never add more sugar to stop it freezing; stronger nectar is harder on the birds' kidneys.

• Mix 1 cup plain white sugar into 4 cups water; boiling is optional if you use clean water and change it on schedule.
• No red dye, honey, brown sugar or sweeteners. A red feeder is enough to attract them.
• Change nectar every 2 days above 80°F, every 4–5 days in cooler weather; cloudy nectar has fermented.
• Scrub ports with a bottle brush at each change; soak monthly in 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water.
• Use an ant moat and keep feeders out of full afternoon sun to slow spoilage.