Create a Hummingbird Garden in the Monterey Bay Area with California Natives
It is estimated that hummingbirds need to consume the nectar from
between 1,000 to 2,000 flowers each day, taking up around 1.5 times
their body mass in water each day as they feed. Unfortunately,
development and urban sprawl have caused much of the
hummingbird-friendly habitat containing these nectar-producing plants
to disappear all across the country and across the birds' migration
Planting a hummingbird-friendly garden can help reduce the impact of
disappearing habitat. It’s easy and will provide hours of
enjoyment as you welcome these ever-active, diminutive visitors to your
A hummingbird-friendly garden requires three key elements - nectar-producing flowers, insects and water.
Natural nectar provides hummingbirds with a steady supply of fast
energy and a balanced source of micro-nutrients. Native plants
can provide significantly more nectar than cultivated hybrids.
Native plants may also require less maintenance, less fertilizer and
less water than many non-native plants.
Choose plants that hummingbirds prefer. These are generally
odorless with tubular flowers. Red flowers are especially
attractive to them, followed by oranges and pinks, purples, blues, and
yellows. Beware of exotics like bougainvillea, which only trick
hummingbirds into wasting precious energy trying to drink from empty
Group similar plants together and choose annuals and perennials with
different blooming periods. With a little planning, you will be
able to provide a steady supply of flowers and nectar nearly year round.
Fill as much of your yard as possible with flowering plants, vines,
shrubs, and trees. If you do not have a garden, even a window box
or hanging basket can attract hummingbirds!
Encourage your neighbors to make their yards hummingbird friendly too.
An entire corridor of habitat is much more valuable than scattered
Hummingbirds need protein from pollen and insects to maintain their
bodies and grow new feathers. They have specialized neck muscles
that help them take insects from the air. They also catch insects
from leaves and spider webs. In this way they can also help
control some of the bugs in your garden!
Attract insects for the hummingbirds by maintaining a healthy ecosystem in your yard. You can do this by:
Eliminating pesticides. Spiders and insects
like mosquitoes, aphids, and gnats are an important part of an adult
bird's diet, and young hummers still in the nest feed on them almost
Planting insect-pollinated flowers as well as plants that hummingbirds pollinate.
Hummingbirds like to bathe frequently, even in the pools of droplets
that collect on leaves. Provide your yard with a constant source of
water from a drip fountain attachment or a fine misting device.
Hummingbirds in the Monterey Bay
What kinds of hummingbird do we have in the Monterey Bay area?
Anna’s hummingbird is a year-round resident in the Monterey Bay.
The male is dark green with a red head and throat. The female may
have a few iridescent feathers on her throat, but is much less showy.
We also have three migratory hummingbirds – the black-chinned
hummingbird, the rufous hummingbird and Allen’s hummingbird.
These all visit the Monterey Bay from early spring through summer.
Further Information Sources
Audubon Society: www.audubon.org
The Hummingbird Society : www.hummingbirdsociety.org
National Wildlife Federation: www.nwf.org
Bauer Nancy, 2001, The Habitat Garden Book – Wildlife Landscaping for the San Francisco Bay Region, Coyote Ridge Press
Merilees Bill, 2000, The New Gardening for Wildlife, Whitecap Books
Carroll S and Salt SD, 2004, Ecology for Gardeners, Timber Press