Hummingbirds are fascinating creatures known for their ability to hover in midair and fly backwards. Their long beaks and tongues are perfectly adapted for sipping nectar from flowers. But do hummingbirds actually prefer some flowers over others or do they visit any flower they come across in search of that sweet nectar?
What flowers do hummingbirds like?
Hummingbirds are attracted to tubular, brightly colored flowers with lots of nectar. Some of their favorite flowers include:
- Trumpet vine – These vibrant orange flowers are a hummingbird magnet.
- Bee balm – Hummingbirds can’t resist the red blooms of this mint family plant.
- Fuchsia – The pendulous flowers come in shades of pink, purple, and red.
- Columbine – The unique shape accommodates a hummingbird’s long beak and tongue.
- Coral honeysuckle – A native vine producing clusters of trumpet-shaped blooms.
- Cardinal flower – Tall spikes of bright red flowers appeal to hummingbirds.
- Petunia – These popular garden flowers come in a variety of bright, vibrant colors.
- Salvia – Spikes of small tubular flowers are hummingbird candy.
- Mimulus – Also called monkey flower, these have colorful flowers with ample nectar.
- Penstemon – Long, tubular blooms perfectly match a hummingbird’s beak.
When planting a garden to attract hummingbirds, focus on flowers in the red, orange, pink and purple color spectrum and choose flowers with tubed or trumpet-shaped blooms. Hummingbirds can see the color red exceptionally well. They do visit other flower colors too though, especially if those blooms are a reliable nectar source.
Do hummingbirds have a favorite flower?
Research has shown that while individual hummingbirds may have preferred flowers they frequent, as a species they are generalists, not specialists, when it comes to flower choice. Hummingbirds feed from a wide variety of flowering plants as they become available throughout the seasons.
One study looked at three species of hummingbirds – Anna’s, Allen’s, and rufous. It found that all three species visited the same top nine flowering plant species the most, although in slightly different proportions. The most popular flowers were:
| Flower | Anna’s hummingbird visits | Allen’s hummingbird visits | Rufous hummingbird visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian paintbrush | 13% | 11% | 15% |
| Indian pink | 11% | 15% | 10% |
| Tree tobacco | 10% | 9% | 8% |
| Scarlet larkspur | 9% | 7% | 10% |
| Wild bergamot | 8% | 10% | 7% |
| Columbine | 7% | 8% | 9% |
| Orange honeysuckle | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| Scarlet gilia | 5% | 6% | 4% |
| Red buckwheat | 4% | 3% | 5% |
This demonstrates that while the different hummingbird species visited the flowers at slightly different rates, they shared preferences for the same top nectar plants. Their generalist flower strategy allows them to take advantage of a wide variety of seasonal flowers.
Do hummingbirds have a favorite color of flower?
Hummingbirds are particularly attracted to flowers in the red end of the color spectrum, like vivid red, orange and pink flowers. This preference is believed to be an evolutionary adaptation.
Red flowers are preferentially pollinated by hummingbirds. The birds have excellent color vision and can easily distinguish red flowers. By developing a preference for red flowers, the hummingbirds get lots of nectar and the red flowers get reliably pollinated and can spread their genes. It’s a win-win co-evolution between birds and flowers.
Experiments have shown that hummingbirds can learn to associate a particular color, especially red, with a nectar reward. After repeated exposure to feeding from flowers of one color, they develop a preference for and visit those colored flowers more frequently.
In one study, Anna’s hummingbirds learned to seek out red-colored feeders over other colors when red reliably provided a sugar water reward. The birds visited red feeders 90% of the time, even when orange, yellow, green and purple feeders were available.
So while hummingbirds don’t have a universal favorite, experiments suggest they can learn preferences for flower colors, especially red flowers, that provide the most nectar.
Do hummingbirds have favorite flowers they return to?
Individual hummingbirds may form preferences for particular flower patches and feeders they frequent. Some research shows site loyalty and repeated visits in hummingbirds.
In a study of broad-tailed hummingbirds, researchers found the birds repeatedly returned to certain locations along their regular routes. The hummingbirds visited favored nectar-rich patches of flowers significantly more than other patches and displayed site loyalty over multiple days.
Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds have been observed periodically returning to feeders up to a year after they were regular visitors, suggesting they remember reliable nectar sources. They may preferentially check these known sites first before exploring for new flowers.
Hummingbirds also show some loyalty to nest sites and may return to the same gardens, trees or structures to breed across different years. They seem to remember good nesting spots.
So while hummingbirds take advantage of many flowers, individual birds can and do form preferences for particular blossoms and locations. They remember reliable nectar sources and flower patches and revisit them periodically.
Why are flowers so important to hummingbirds?
Flowers provide hummingbirds with the key energy source they need to survive – in the form of sugary nectar. Hummingbirds have tremendously high metabolisms. To support their rapid heartbeat and fast wing-flapping, they must eat frequently throughout the day.
Hummingbirds get most of their calories from drinking flower nectar. They eat up to half their weight in nectar each day, visiting hundreds or even thousands of flowers daily. Hummingbirds’ feeding strategy depends on constantly finding enough flowers in bloom to sip from.
Some key reasons flowers are so vital to hummingbirds include:
- Nectar – Provides carbohydrates for energy and the main nutrient source
- Sugars – Nectar contains sugars like sucrose, fructose and glucose which hummingbirds digest easily
- Quick energy – The sugars in nectar provide rapid energy critical for a hummingbird’s high metabolism
- Fat production – Sugars can be converted to fat, allowing hummingbirds to build up reserves
- Protein source – Nectar provides small amounts of proteins
- Electrolytes – Nectar contains some electrolyte minerals that hummingbirds need
- Water source – The nectar provides necessary water for hummingbirds
- Fuel for migration – Nectar sustains hummingbirds on their migration journeys
Flowers provide virtually all the energy hummingbirds need. That’s why they are constantly on the search for nectar sources. It allows them to power their unique hover-feeding lifestyle.
Favorite flowers of some common hummingbird species
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Some favorites include:
- Bee balm
- Cardinal flower
- Trumpet creeper
- Mimulus
- Impatiens
- Petunias
- Salvia
- Fuchsia
- Morning glory
Rufous hummingbird
Some favorites include:
- Indian paintbrush
- Penstemon
- Tree tobacco
- Lupine
- Scarlet gilia
- Columbine
- Fuchsia
- Wild bergamot
Anna’s hummingbird
Some favorites include:
- Sages
- California fuchsia
- Indian paintbrush
- Penstemon
- Coral aloe
- Tree tobacco
- Angel’s trumpet
- Red buckwheat
Allen’s hummingbird
Some favorites include:
- Eucalyptus
- Lantana
- Sages
- Gilia
- Penstemon
- Paintbrush
- Fuchsia
- Coral bells
Black-chinned hummingbird
Some favorites include:
- Globemallow
- Indian paintbrush
- Penstemon
- Nicotiana
- Yucca
- Coral bells
- Sages
- Columbine
How to attract hummingbirds to your garden
Here are some tips for making your garden an attractive haven for hummingbirds:
- Plant a variety of brightly colored, tubular flowers
- Include lots of red, orange and pink flowers which hummingbirds favor
- Choose flowers with different bloom times for season-long color
- Plant in clusters for greater visual impact
- Supplement with feeders filled with sugar water
- Provide shrubs and trees for perching and nesting
- Avoid pesticides which reduce insect populations hummingbirds feed on
- Provide a water source like a fountain, mister or bird bath
- Deadhead spent flowers to promote reblooming
With a little planning, you can create a beautiful, welcoming habitat filled with all the features hummingbirds love.
Do hummingbirds remember flower locations?
Research indicates that hummingbirds have good spatial memory and recall where reliable food sources are located. Their spatial memory allows them to regularly revisit productive flowers.
In multiple studies, hummingbirds demonstrated the ability to remember specific locations where they previously found nectar. The birds learned to associate a location with a reward and returned to those productive feeding sites. This included remembering artificial feeders or flowers.
Hummingbirds likely rely on visual cues to help them relocate rewarding flowers and feeders in familiar areas. Scientists believe female hummingbirds may have especially good spatial skills to remember the locations of quality nectar sources along their routes.
This spatial memory helps hummingbirds forage efficiently. Instead of randomly searching for nectar, they can deliberately fly to spots where they previously fed. Their spatial abilities allow hummingbirds to regularly return to plentiful, known food supplies.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds are highly adaptable when it comes to flower choices. They evolved as generalists, feeding from a wide variety of blossoms. This allows them to take advantage of seasonal flowers and abundant nectar availability.
While they visit hundreds of different flowers, hummingbirds do have a preference for tubular-shaped blooms in vibrant shades of red, orange and pink. Individual birds may form favorites, remembering specific flower locations and revisiting them regularly.
By planting a diverse garden with sequential blooms in colors that appeal to hummingbirds, you can create a beautiful space to draw in these special birds throughout the seasons.
