The majority of hummingbirds are native to Mexico, South America, Texas, and even the Bahamas, although Florida has a few.
You’ll need some red, nectar-filled blooms in your yard, as well as a hummingbird feeder, to view these.
Hummingbirds In Florida
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Black-chinned Hummingbird
- Buff-bellied Hummingbird
- Rufous Hummingbird
- Anna’s Hummingbird
- Costa’s Hummingbird
- Broad-tailed Hummingbird
- Allen’s Hummingbird
- Calliope Hummingbird
- Broad-billed Hummingbird
- White-eared Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The most frequent hummingbird in Florida is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, which may be found all year.
They get their name from the ruby-red throats of the males, and both males and females have emerald or golden-green backs.
They have the appearance of a feathery gem. If you happen to see some of them, and there’s a strong chance you will, their exotic, sparkling hues will attract your attention.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds prefer to be in the woods and make their nests in deciduous trees such as birch, oak, and poplar.
Flowers such as trumpet honeysuckle, crimson cardinal flowers, scarlet beebalm, wild bergamot, and trumpet creeper might tempt them to visit your yard. They also enjoy traditional nectar-filled hummingbird feeders.
These little birds fly from one nectar source to another, catching insects in mid-flight or from spider webs.
They come to a halt on a little twig now and again, but their legs are so short that they can only shuffle along with a perch.
In the summer, the ideal areas to look for are flowering gardens or woodland margins. They don’t stay around long after mating, and by early August, they may have moved away.
Male In their protection of flowers and feeders, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds may be violent.
Ruby-throated females form nests consisting of thistle or dandelion down tied together with spider silk on narrow trees. They deposit 1-3 tiny eggs.
Black-chinned Hummingbird
The Black-chinned Hummingbird is a beautiful bird. Velvety blackheads fade into dark purple necks on the males.
The ladies’ necks are white. Their bellies are white, and their bills are black. They have a dusky-green tint on their flanks.
Black-chinned Hummingbirds are frequently seen in Florida during the winter. They prefer to spend their time in forests, meadows, and orchards.
They will also cheerfully visit if you grow scarlet larkspur and crimson honeysuckle in your yard, as well as a nectar-filled hummingbird feeder.
Buff-bellied Hummingbird
The buffy-coloured bellies of Buff-bellied Hummingbirds give them their name. They aren’t common in Florida because they aren’t locals, although they have been known to pass through.
Their large red beaks and buffy bellies distinguish them from other birds. Their feathers are brilliantly iridescent, and their backs are pale green.
Buff-bellied Hummingbirds are found near the shore, in thickets, and in woods in Mexico.
Nests are built in deciduous trees such as sycamore, birch, and oak. The nectar is the primary food source for these ardent flower-lovers.
All you need is some flowers in your garden, such as Turk’s cap, red salvia, and red honeysuckle, as well as a hummingbird feeder stocked with nectar, to attract Buff-bellied Hummingbirds to your yard.
Rufous Hummingbird
Another popular Florida native is the Rufous Hummingbird. Throughout the year, these tiny fellows can be found in gardens and at bird feeders.
Hummingbirds have been witnessed driving larger birds, rats, and other hummingbirds away from their preferred garden site or feeder, which is unusual for hummingbirds.
This implies they may stay long enough for you to have a good look at them.
Male and female Rufous Hummingbirds are distinguished by their greenbacks and the rufous tail feathers with white tips that give them their name.
Male Rufous Hummingbirds have iridescent orange necks as well. This can lead to their being mistaken for the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Rufous Hummingbirds like to build their nests in open locations such as shrubby fields, parks, or forest margins.
Some may even be found in wetlands, adding a splash of colour to the scene.
Rufous Hummingbirds sip nectar in the wild. When nectar is scarce, they will sip sap from holes left by other sap-sucking creatures. Gnats and tiny spiders make up the rest of the diet.
Plant flowers like bearberry blossoms, red cardinal flowers, Columbia lilies, and milkweed in your yard to attract Rufous Hummingbirds. Also, put out a nectar-filled hummingbird feeder.
Anna’s Hummingbird
While Anna’s Hummingbirds are usually found on the west coast of the United States, they are occasionally seen in Florida at any time of year.
The males have a magenta or red-orange head and throat, whereas the females are predominantly green-grey.
Females lack the vivid crown and throat of the males and are more subdued in colour, though still attractive.
They prefer open woodlands, particularly oak forests. Because they are territorial, the majority will stay in one location.
Plant red blooms of gooseberry, hummingbird sage, eucalyptus, and desert willow in your yard to attract Anna’s Hummingbirds, and maintain a hummingbird feeder stocked with nectar.
Costa’s Hummingbird
Costa’s Hummingbirds are mostly desert hummingbirds with purple heads and beautiful iridescent purple throat patches that flare out.
Their bellies are white with green colouration on the sides and their backs are green. Female Costa’s Hummingbirds are lighter in colour and have a whiter belly.
Costa’s Hummingbirds live in Baja California, southern California, and western Arizona.
In the winter, they move from the Pacific Coast of Mexico to Arizona, the southern boundaries of Nevada and Utah, and California to breed.
Costa’s Hummingbirds live in desert scrub, chaparral, and deciduous woodland. Nests are made in bushes at a height of three to seven feet above the ground, and they can be fairly large.
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
The broad-tailed hummingbird is a rare bird that can only be found in South-East Florida. It’s quite unusual to observe it elsewhere in the state, making it a rarer hummingbird.
Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are medium-sized hummingbirds with long, slender tails that live up to their name.
Males and females have predominantly green backs and white belly feathers, with a stunning iridescent orange neck on the male.
They live in high-elevation environments such as scrubby meadows or evergreen woods in the wild. They eat a well-balanced diet of bugs and nectar.
Plant their favourite flowers, paintbrush, as well as honeysuckle, beebalm, and other vividly coloured and tubular flowers, in your yard to attract them. You may also place a hummingbird feeder.
Allen’s Hummingbird
Allen’s Hummingbird is a small, spherical bird. They only appear in Florida once in a blue moon, and you’ll have to be lucky to witness one!
The males have beautiful burnt-orange throats with iridescence, coppery backs, and orange-tan bellies. Females don’t have orange necks and have a more subdued colour scheme.
Along the Oregon and California coasts, these charming hummingbirds build their nests in woodlands and shrubby meadows. During the winter, they may move to Mexico.
Allen’s Hummingbirds feed on nectar and tree sap, as well as bugs, which give essential protein and fat.
Grow flowers, especially red salvia, paintbrush, honeysuckle, and hollyhocks, to tempt them to come to your yard. They will also gladly take advantage of a nectar-filled hummingbird feeder.
Calliope Hummingbird
In Florida, Calliope Hummingbirds are uncommon, but they are considerably more numerous in California, Mexico, and Canada. Having said that, they will still materialise on occasion, as if by magic.
The most striking feature of Calliope Hummingbirds is their small size; they are the smallest breeding birds in North America, measuring just 2.8-3.9 inches and weighing 0.071- 0.106 oz
Due to the wine-red patterns on their necks, male Calliope Hummingbirds are occasionally mistaken for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
Both males and females have green backs, white bellies, and distinctive black, white-tipped tails.
Hummingbirds prefer open areas and spend much of their time in meadows and valleys
Although they eat certain tiny invertebrates for protein and fat, such as aphids, Calliope Hummingbirds mostly subsist on flower nectar.
Bright, nectar-rich blooms like red bee balm, red honeysuckle, foxgloves, and hollyhock might attract them to your yard.
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Broad-billed Hummingbirds have vivid red beaks and green and blue feathers all over their bodies.
Broad-billed Hummingbirds prefer nectar as a dietary source. They will, however, devour any bugs they locate on plants.
These birds are endemic to Mexico’s canyons and meadows, and they are only occasionally sighted in Florida.
Plant paintbrush, honeysuckle, Ocotillo, and hollyhock if you want to boost the odds of one stopping by. A nectar-filled hummingbird feeder will also work.
White-eared Hummingbird
White-eared Hummingbirds live in scrubby vegetation, woodlands, or backyards, and they nest in bushes or low trees.
Both males and females of the White-eared Hummingbird have green backs and breasts, a black head, and a white eyestripe.
They have crimson beaks with a black tip. Males have a shiny turquoise green throat and face with violet spots.
White-eared Hummingbirds can be found in the United States from Nicaragua to the highlands of southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and western Texas, although they are uncommon.
They typically lay their eggs between March and August in northern and central Mexico, or later in July in Arizona, and they can produce up to three broods per year.
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