Hummingbirds of Colorado

In the heart of Denver's Congress Park neighborhood, the York Street location of Denver Botanic Gardens is one of the most celebrated horticultural institutions in the Mountain West — and a designated eBird hotspot recognized by Cornell University for its consistent bird diversity. As early as mid-April, migrating hummingbirds arrive to find an expertly curated succession of nectar plants: columbine and larkspur in spring, followed by penstemon, agastache, hummingbird trumpet, and native salvia through summer. Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are the summer stars, and the Water-Smart Garden — a showcase of drought-tolerant Colorado natives — is a particularly reliable spot. The garden's august Plant Collection spans more than 15,000 species, providing a year-round floral backdrop that keeps every visit visually rewarding.

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At the roof of the Rockies, Rocky Mountain National Park offers one of the most dramatically beautiful hummingbird encounters in North America. The park is prime Broad-tailed Hummingbird territory — these breeding birds are the signature species of Colorado mountain summers, and the male's distinctive metallic wing trill echoes through the forests and meadows from June onward. The park's montane and subalpine habitats paint wildflower spectacles from late June through August: scarlet gilia, Indian paintbrush, columbine, and penstemon bloom in dense succession, drawing hummingbirds to elevations up to and above 10,000 feet. Rufous Hummingbirds join the scene in late July and August on their southbound migration, adding the russet flash of these famously feisty wanderers to the mountain meadows.

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