Preferred Seed:
Nectar
Description:
The Rufous Hummingbird is a small but bold hummingbird known for its bright orange coloring and incredible long-distance migration. These birds are highly territorial and will aggressively defend feeders and flowers.
Feeder Type:
Hummingbird
Nesting:
Rufous Hummingbirds build small cup-shaped nests made of plant fibers and spider silk, usually placed on tree branches or shrubs.
Identification:
Males are bright orange with an iridescent orange-red throat and a white chest. Females are green above with some orange on the sides and tail, and may show small orange spots on the throat. Both are small with fast wingbeats and a straight bill.
Song Description:
A series of high-pitched chips and sharp calls. Their wings produce a humming sound, and males create a buzzing or chirping sound during courtship dives.
How to Attract:
• Use hummingbird feeders filled with sugar water
• Plant nectar-rich flowers
• Avoid red dye in nectar
• Keep feeders clean and regularly refilled
Fun Fact:
Rufous Hummingbirds travel thousands of miles each year during migration, with some completing a loop migration that takes them up the Pacific Coast and back through the Rocky Mountains.
Residency:
Breeds in the northwestern United States and western Canada. Migrates south for winter to Mexico, traveling one of the longest migration routes of any hummingbird.
Region:
Western United States, Mexico, Southern Canada
Range Map:
Range Map 2025/2026 © Chirp Nook
Best Bird Food For
Rufous Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
