Are Hummingbirds Native to Colorado?

Something I like most about this time of year is hummingbirds. We have several feeders in our yard, and typically have at least 20 to 25 hummingbirds visiting those feeders. Sometimes they all come at once. A few other varieties of birds enjoy the feeders too, but I like the hummingbirds best.

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According to a few different online articles, there are over 300 different species of hummingbirds, but only around 15 of those are found in North America. Several other articles state that anywhere from 8 to 12 of those species can be found in Colorado. Unfortunately, the smallest of them all, the bee hummingbird, is native to Cuba, according to the AZ Animals website.

Bird Advisors website says there are no hummingbird species classified as residents in Colorado, but there are a total of 11 different species that you can see here. The most common is the broad-tailed hummingbird. They live in higher elevations and are known for an iridescent green on their back. Males also have iridescent rose on their throat. You can typically find their nests on evergreen or aspen branches. We have both kinds of trees in our yard, and as hard as I’ve tried, I still haven’t found a nest. I hear that hummingbird nests are roughly the size of a walnut, so maybe they’re just too small for me to see. Though there are certainly many in our neighborhood. The Black-chinned hummingbird is also a common visitor to Colorado. We’ve seen both types in our yard.

Another common hummingbird, at least in our yard, is the Rufous Hummingbird. They are bright orange and are typically aggressive. They chase the other hummingbirds from the feeders.

One way to attract hummingbirds to your yard is filling it with brightly colored flowers, especially the kinds that are more tubular in shape. Or you can do as I do and fill a hummingbird feeder with nectar. I don’t use the prepackaged red nectar, but rather make my own. If you are making 4 cups of nectar, you would need 1 cup of sugar, and 4 cups of hot water. I don’t add any coloring either. The hummingbirds can find the nectar without it. I typically use ice cubes to cool the nectar so I can fill the feeders. When it’s hot out, I fill the feeders every day.

I’ll keep filling the feeders as long as they keep coming. And they might be coming for a long time, as in year after year. According to the Bird Watching Buzz website. Experts have found that hummingbirds return to the same yards and feeders each year.