Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge Hummingbird Guide
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Fresh nectar in a minute.
Every bag of NectarBloom™ funds the guides, the Hummingbird Trail, the lab testing, and the free care resources on this site. When you buy our nectar, you help us keep hummingbird education open, honest, and growing — for every bird lover, everywhere.
NectarBloom™ — 2 lb Bag
Fresh nectar in a minute.
No boiling, no dye. The same sugar hummingbird flowers make. One ingredient, nothing else. Makes up to 160 oz of fresh feeder nectar per bag.
- Fresh nectar in a minute: measure, stir until clear, and pour
- No boiling, no dye
- The same sugar hummingbird flowers make
- One ingredient, nothing else: 100% pure cane sugar
- Lab tested. Resealable 2 lb bag, sourced and packed in the USA
1 Bag · 2 lb
$21.99
Free shipping included
2 Bags · Season Supply
$39.88
Free shipping included
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“Your purchase isn’t just nectar — it’s how we keep this hummingbird care library free, accurate, and growing.”
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Overview
On the windswept prairie east of the Rocky Mountain Front, Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a landscape of continental scale — 12,383 acres of marsh, prairie, and shelterbelt habitat that has earned dual recognition as a Globally Important Bird Area and Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service explicitly names Benton Lake as key habitat for the Calliope Hummingbird, the smallest long-distance avian migrant in the world. Though the refuge is primarily famous for its grassland and wetland bird diversity, the shelterbelt plantings and riparian shrub zones along the auto tour route provide hummingbird habitat from May through August. This is prairie birding at its most immersive — vast, wild, and scientifically significant.
Hummingbirds to Watch For
- • Calliope
- • Rufous
Best Time to Visit
Plan your visit during May, June, July, August for the highest chance of hummingbird sightings. Early morning and late afternoon are typically the most active feeding times.
Plants and Habitat
- • Prairie wetland and marsh complex
- • shelterbelts and riparian shrubs
- • northern mixed-grass prairie with wildflower habitats
Nectar feeders are present at this location.
NectarBloom Tip
USFWS-named Calliope Hummingbird habitat; Globally Important Bird Area; accessible auto tour with visitor infrastructure.
Visitor Notes
Free; visitor center open weekdays 7:30am–4pm (portable toilets 24/7); self-guided auto tour; accessible boardwalk; Globally Important Bird Area designation; Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site
Reviews and Sightings
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