Utah Hummingbird Types

Utah's geographical location places the state in the midst of the ranges of various hummingbird types. Utah's combination of lowlands and mountainous regions provide varied habitat for these tiny birds. While some will breed in Utah before heading to warmer climates for the winter, others pass through and stay a short while during their migrations from other places.

  1. Broad-tailed Hummingbird

    • The broad-tailed hummingbird is a species found along riverbanks and pinyon pine forests in low and high elevations in Utah and other Rocky Mountain states. This hummingbird reaches lengths of up to 3.5 inches, with a wingspan of 5.3 inches, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website. The species has the ability to slip into a semi-dormant state in colder weather, with the bird's body temperature going as low as 54 degrees F. The broad-tailed hummingbird spends its winters in Mexico before heading back north to breed.

    Calliope Hummingbird

    • No bird that breeds in North America is as small as the calliope hummingbird, notes the State of Utah Natural Resources website. The calliope hummingbird weighs in at about 2.5 grams and possesses a wingspan of just 4.3 inches. The calliope hummingbird in Utah will inhabit open woodlands, canyons and the mountain areas. The diet of the bird, like most hummingbirds, includes the nectar from flowers, but this species also eats many insects and spiders. The calliope male will breed with multiple females, leaving the partner to make the nest and raise the family all by herself.

    Rufous Hummingbird

    • The rufous hummingbird does not breed in Utah, but this long-distance traveler commonly passes through the state and stops to eat and rest on its journey southward to Mexico. The rufous hummingbird will make a clockwise trip from southern regions, flying along the Pacific Coast to breed as far north as Southeast Alaska before returning through the Rockies. The bird will make frequent excursions to hummingbird feeders for subsistence. The bird is among the most territorial of all hummingbirds, driving out other hummingbirds from its location. An excellent recollection of where feeders and flowers are helps it as it makes its annual migration, which can be as long as 7,800 miles in total length.

    Costa's Hummingbird

    • The southwestern sections of Utah, with desert ecosystems, are where the Costa's hummingbird resides from March through the month of June. Despite the known features of this species, even seasoned biologists have a hard time telling the girls from the boys. The Costa's hummingbird female typically will select a dead stalk from a yucca plant on which to construct her nest. She will employ such materials as plant matter, spider webs and feathers to complete her minute nest, in which she will lay two eggs that require about 17 days to hatch.