Yes, there are several species of hummingbirds that can be found in the Truckee, California area during the spring, summer, and fall months. Hummingbirds are attracted to the forests, meadows, and gardens that provide nectar-rich flowers and feeders in Truckee. Some of the most common hummingbird species seen in Truckee include the Anna’s Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Calliope Hummingbird, and Allen’s Hummingbird. With proper landscaping and hummingbird feeders, it is possible to attract these tiny and colorful birds to your own backyard in Truckee.
When do hummingbirds arrive in Truckee?
Most hummingbirds arrive in the Truckee area in early spring, anywhere from late March to early May depending on the species, weather conditions, and food availability. Here is an overview of when some common Truckee hummingbirds appear:
Anna’s Hummingbird
Anna’s Hummingbirds are year-round residents in much of California. In Truckee, these large hummingbirds can be spotted as early as late March and early April as the males arrive and establish breeding territories. Numbers increase through spring and summer.
Rufous Hummingbird
The Rufous Hummingbird is a summer visitor to Truckee, usually arriving in early May. Males precede the females by up to two weeks. Rufous Hummingbirds breed in Truckee and the surrounding Sierra Nevada through the summer before migrating south again in July and August.
Calliope Hummingbird
Calliope Hummingbirds pass through Truckee in late spring and fall as they migrate between their wintering grounds in Mexico and breeding areas further north. These smallest birds in North America can often be seen in Truckee in May as they head north and again in August on their return south.
Allen’s Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbirds breed along California’s coast and are rare summer visitors to Truckee, most likely to be seen in July and August. A few may linger into September. Their arrival depends on the flowering of preferred nectar plants.
So in summary, Truckee hummingbirds are present primarily from April through September, with Anna’s Hummingbirds being year-round residents. Specific arrival times can vary by up to a few weeks from year to year.
What types of habitat and flowers attract hummingbirds in Truckee?
Hummingbirds are drawn to areas that provide their basic needs – food in the form of nectar, insects for protein, water, and protected spaces for nesting and roosting. Here are some of the natural and landscaped habitat features that attract hummingbirds to Truckee:
Meadows
Wildflower meadows with tube or trumpet-shaped flowers provide important nectar sources for hummingbirds. Some examples include Indian paintbrush, lupines, columbines, larkspurs, and monkeyflowers. Meadows also attract the small insects that hummingbirds eat.
Riparian areas
The wetter riparian zones along creeks and rivers support plants like currants, gooseberries, and willows that hummingbirds favor. These Semi-open areas also provide nesting sites.
Aspen groves
Quaking aspen trees provide nesting cavities in old or damaged trunks and branches. Their flowers are an early nectar source.
Gardens
Well-designed gardens can provide a diversity of hummingbird-friendly flowers blooming spring through fall. Tubular red, orange, pink, and purple blossoms tend to be their favorites along with big non-native flowers like fuchsias.
Feeders
Supplementing the natural nectar supply with homemade sugar-water feeders specifically designed for hummingbirds can reliably attract these birds close-up to any Truckee residence or business from April to September.
So in short, any Truckee location with a combination of blooming plants, nest sites, water sources, and supplemental feeders can attract visiting hummingbirds during the warmer months.
What are the most common hummingbird species in Truckee?
Here are the major hummingbird species to watch for when enjoying Truckee’s hummingbirds:
Anna’s Hummingbird
| Size | 3.5-4 inches |
| Color | Males have iridescent rose-pink throats and crowns. Females are grayish-green with white and red spotting on throat. |
| Flowers | Eucalyptus, mimulus, salvia, flowering maples, fuchsia |
Anna’s Hummingbirds are the only common year-round Truckee hummingbirds. The male’s spectacular magenta and pink breeding plumage and their tendency to vigorously defend feeding territories make these medium-sized hummingbirds one of the most recognizable.
Rufous Hummingbird
| Size | 2.75-3.5 inches |
| Color | Males have bright orange throats and bellies. Females have green backs and white bellies with rusty flanks. |
| Flowers | Indian paintbrush, lilies, fuchsias, columbines |
The Rufous Hummingbird is a common summer visitor to Truckee gardens and wildflower meadows. The males have the brightest plumage of any North American hummingbird. Females are greener overall with rusty sides.
Calliope Hummingbird
| Size | 2.75-3.25 inches |
| Color | Males have magenta throats, a dark tail with white tips. Females are grayish-green with a pale throat dotted darker. |
| Flowers | Red currants, gooseberries, larkspur, penstemon |
The tiny Calliope Hummingbird is North America’s smallest bird. They pass through Truckee in spring and fall, stopping briefly to feed on their migration.
Allen’s Hummingbird
| Size | 3.5 inches |
| Color | Males have orange-red throats and tails. Females have green backs and rusty orange on throat and tail. |
| Flowers | Tubular orange and red flowers, fuchsias, currants |
Allen’s Hummingbirds breed along the California coast and are infrequent summer visitors in Truckee, favoring gardens with suitable tubular flowers. The male’s bright reddish tail and orange throat mark this species.
So in summary, Truckee hosts four regular hummingbird species. Anna’s is present year-round while Rufous, Calliope, and Allen’s pass through in spring and summer.
What are the best flowers and feeders to attract hummingbirds in Truckee?
Here are some top natural and supplemental food sources for successfully luring colorful hummingbirds to your own yard in the Truckee area:
Native wildflowers
Include Truckee native wildflowers like Indian paintbrush, penstemon, firecracker flower, and columbines which provide adaptations for hummingbird pollination. Grow native species anywhere from beds to meadows.
Non-native flowers
Add big, tubular, non-native flowers like fuchsias, coral bells, flowering maples, and salvias which hummingbirds have adapted to enjoy. Especially focus on red, orange and pink blossoms.
Nectar feeders
Use simple hummingbird feeders filled with a 4:1 ratio of water to white refined sugar. No food dye is necessary. Clean feeders weekly to prevent mold. Place in open sites with perches.
Fruit trees / shrubs
Plant small flowering trees and shrubs like crabapples, currants, and gooseberries which provide nectar, insects, and later fruits that hummingbirds eat.
Water features
Add a small waterfall, fountain, or bird bath which provides drinking and bathing water for hummingbirds. Move water helps deter mosquito breeding.
The most successful and eco-friendly strategy is to replicate natural hummingbird habitat with native plant communities. Backyard feeders supplemented with ornamental plants extend the habitat into developed areas.
Where are the best places to observe hummingbirds in Truckee?
While hummingbirds can be found anywhere good habitat exists around Truckee, here are a few top sites where viewing them is virtually guaranteed during summer:
Donner Memorial State Park
This park along Donner Lake contains open meadows, mixed forests, and wetlands that attract all Truckee’s species.
Truckee River Corridor
The river corridor provides riparian habitat with willows, aspens, and wildflowers that hummingbirds forage in.
Martis Creek Lake
This reservoir is surrounded by sagebrush, pines, and aspen groves filled with wildflowers. An excellent hummingbird spot.
Gray Creek
The trails around this creek offer access to montane meadows and aspen stands.
Prosser Creek Reservoir
Watch for hummingbirds feeding in meadows and aspens along the trails and habitat around this reservoir.
So in general, places where water, mountains, meadows, and diverse vegetation come together provide the best opportunities to observe Truckee hummingbirds in their natural habitats as they feed and interact.
How can I attract hummingbirds to my yard in Truckee?
To make your property as inviting as possible to Truckee’s hummingbirds, try these proven tactics:
Add nectar plants
Include a variety of native and ornamental flowers that bloom spring through fall such as penstemon, lupine, monkeyflower, columbine, fuchsias, honeysuckle, and coral bells.
Include small trees/shrubs
Plant small flowering trees like crabapples and buckthorn which hummingbirds are drawn to. Currants and gooseberries provide food.
Supply clean feeders
Use a few good quality hummingbird feeders, cleaned weekly and supplied with fresh nectar (4:1 water:sugar). Place in open sites.
Offer water
Hummingbirds bathe as well as drink, so have a light misting sprayer or small water feature. Drip systems work well.
Don’t use pesticides
Avoid pesticides which reduce insect populations that hummingbirds feed on and can harm the birds.
Consider perches
Add thin branches, clips, or poles near flowers and feeders to provide convenient perching spots for the hummingbirds.
Be patient
It can take weeks for hummingbirds to discover and get accustomed to new feeders and plantings. Persistence pays off!
By taking these simple steps to create an enticing haven, Truckee homeowners can experience the magic of hummingbirds gracing their gardens from spring through fall.
Can hummingbirds survive Truckee winters?
The harsh Sierra Nevada winters of Truckee make it impossible for most small hummingbirds to survive. However:
Some Anna’s Hummingbirds endure
A portion of the Anna’s Hummingbird population has adapted to survive Truckee’s long, cold winters. These hardy birds go into a state of nightly hibernation, slowing their metabolism and heart rate to conserve energy. Access to feeders helps sustain them.
All other species migrate
Allen’s, Rufous, and Calliope Hummingbirds retreat from Truckee every winter, migrating south to warmer climates in Mexico and the southwestern U.S. They escape Truckee’s freezing temperatures, heavy snow, and scarce food of winter.
Spring/summer arrivals
By March, surviving Anna’s and early migrating Rufous Hummingbirds reappear in Truckee gardens. All species normally return by May to breed during the summer before migrating south again in late summer or fall.
So while Truckee offers prime hummingbird habitat from spring through fall, only the adaptable Anna’s Hummingbird is built to tough out the Sierra winter. The visiting species escape to more hospitable climates until the mountains thaw.
Conclusion
The forests, meadows, and neighborhoods of Truckee, California attract a nice diversity of hummingbird species during the warmer months including ever-present Anna’s, visiting Rufous and Calliope, and occasional Allen’s Hummingbirds. By landscaping with natural plants and adding supplemental feeders, it is easy to observe these energetic jewels of nature from your own backyard. While freezing winters limit most hummingbirds, the Anna’s amazing resilience enables some to overwinter right in Truckee. With a little effort to provide food, water, and shelter in your garden, you can readily enjoy the flashy colors, buzzing wings, and spirited antics of these tiniest birds from spring through fall.
