Utah’s mountains, deserts, and river valleys attract five regular hummingbird species every year, and each one arrives on its own schedule tied to elevation and food supply. A black-chinned hummingbird might be sipping from a St. George feeder in early April while broad-tailed hummingbirds are still weeks away from reaching the high meadows of the Wasatch or Uinta ranges. Knowing which hummingbirds in Utah show up where, and when, makes it far easier to plan a garden or feeder setup that actually gets visitors.
This guide breaks down the five species that call Utah home for part of the year, from the state’s most common backyard visitor to a rare winter guest that barely crosses the border. Along the way, you will find identification pointers, migration timing, and tips for drawing these tiny pollinators to your own property.
| Species | Status in Utah | Peak Season | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black-chinned Hummingbird | Common, breeds statewide | April–September | Lowland valleys, desert canyons, suburban gardens |
| Broad-tailed Hummingbird | Common, breeds at elevation | May–September | Mountain meadows, foothills, forest edges |
| Rufous Hummingbird | Regular migrant | July–September | Mountain corridors during fall movement south |
| Calliope Hummingbird | Regular migrant, least common | August–September | High-elevation wildflower meadows |
| Anna’s Hummingbird | Rare, near-accidental | Scattered sightings | Washington County, far southwestern corner |
1. Black-chinned Hummingbird
The black-chinned hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri) is the species most Utah residents will see first, since it is Utah’s most common and widespread hummingbird, especially in southern Utah’s deserts, canyons, and river corridors. It also happens to be one of the species with the strongest claim to Utah as home turf: Utah is one of only a few state’s where the black-chinned hummingbird will spend it’s summer breeding season.
Males show a throat that looks plain black in most light, however they do have a small strip of purple feathers along the bottom that is sometimes visible. Females are less flashy, appearing green above and pale below like most hummingbird females of similar size. Adults measure only around 3.25 inches long, yet they cover impressive ground between wintering grounds and Utah’s canyons each year.
These birds are widespread among many habitats from deserts to mountain forests and like to perch on bare branches, which makes them frequent visitors to backyard feeders near riparian corridors. In the southwest corner of the state, near populations that also winter in southern Arizona and the Sonoran Desert, black-chinned hummingbirds tend to arrive early, often timed to the bloom of desert holly. They stick around through summer before heading south again by early fall.
Pro Tip: Hang feeders in southern Utah by late March and in northern valleys by mid-April so they are ready before the first black-chinned hummingbirds arrive. Clean and refill every few days once temperatures climb above 80°F.
2. Broad-tailed Hummingbird
The broad-tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) shares the title of most common Utah species with the black-chinned, though it favors a very different elevation band. According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the most commonly seen species are broad-tailed and black-chinned hummingbirds across the northeastern part of the state.
This species is one of the most common hummingbirds found in Utah, especially in mountainous regions, with males easily recognized by their shimmering rose-red throats, while females and juveniles show a more subdued green. Broad-tails favor open woodlands, alpine meadows, and forest edges across Utah, particularly at higher elevations, which puts them squarely in the same range shared with breeding populations documented in neighboring Idaho’s mountain forests.
Nesting females build with care, using sites that offer both cover and a nearby food source, and they secure their nests with spider silk and adorned with plant material for camouflage against predators. One of the more remarkable survival tricks of this species involves the cold: during cold nights in Utah’s mountains, broad-tailed hummingbirds can enter a state of torpor, a temporary hibernation-like condition that helps them conserve energy and survive temperatures that dip near freezing.
3. Rufous Hummingbird
The rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) passes through Utah mostly as a fall migrant rather than a summer resident, and it has a reputation to match its brief visit. Rufous hummingbirds are the most aggressive type of hummingbird in Utah, and if one finds your feeders or garden, it will relentlessly attack and drive away other hummingbirds, including much larger species, according to Bird Watching HQ.
Males show bright copper-orange on their back and sides of their belly, with a beautiful reddish-orange iridescent throat, while females carry a green crown and back with rufous-colored sides. Despite being classified as near-threatened, rufous hummingbirds are the third most frequently spotted hummingbirds in Utah during summer, from April to October, and appear in 2% of checklists.
Important Note: If a rufous hummingbird claims your feeder, expect it to chase off other visitors. Adding a second feeder on the opposite side of the yard can reduce conflicts and give smaller species a chance to feed.
Few birds pull off a longer relative journey: rufous hummingbirds are one of the longest migrating birds relative to their size, traveling up to 4000 miles each way, breeding in northwest Alaska and northwest Canada and migrating down to Mexico and the Gulf Coast for winter. Their route explains why they show up late in Utah, since migration runs north along the Pacific Coast in spring, tracking closer to populations seen in Oregon and the Portland area, before the return trip funnels south through the Rocky Mountains and directly across Utah each fall.
4. Calliope Hummingbird
The calliope hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) is Utah’s smallest and least frequently seen regular species, arriving later than the rest as it moves through on migration. Per Wild About Utah, this bird is the smallest breeding bird in North America, weighing about as much as a penny, and is also the smallest long distant migrant bird in the world, traveling up to 5600 miles in a single year.
Size-wise, the calliope is the smallest bird in Utah, under four inches in length and weighing between 2 and 3 grams, about the same weight as a ping-pong ball. Males stand out thanks to long, magenta throat feathers that appear as streaks going down their neck, and they perform a unique U-shaped dive that is used to impress females during courtship, similar to displays documented among breeding populations in the mountains of Northern California.
Utah birders should watch late in the season for this species, since it is Utah’s least common regular species, typically arriving latest of all — August and September — as it moves south through mountain corridors. A calliope at a feeder in early spring would be unusual; by contrast, spotting one in a high mountain meadow in late summer fits its typical Utah pattern closely.
5. Anna’s Hummingbird
Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna) barely qualifies as a Utah species at all, and where it does appear, it is worth noting as something of a range-edge curiosity. Per Wikipedia’s summary of the species’ range, Anna’s hummingbird is found along the Pacific coast and inland to southern and central Arizona, extreme southern Nevada and southeastern Utah, and western Texas, with birds tending to be permanent residents within their range rather than long-distance migrants.
A U.S. Forest Service brochure covering habitat for the region confirms the pattern seen locally: Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbird can be found year-round in the far southern parts of Nevada and extreme southwestern Utah, an area that overlaps closely with hummingbird populations documented in southern Nevada. Outside that small corner near St. George, sightings elsewhere in the state are genuinely rare.
Key Insight: Anna’s hummingbird has expanded its range considerably since the mid-20th century. The National Audubon Society notes that in recent decades the species has expanded its range, probably helped along by flowers and feeders in suburban gardens; it now nests north to British Columbia and east to Arizona, a spread that mirrors what researchers have tracked among populations near Southern California, where the species originated.
Beyond its rarity, Anna’s is also one of the more vocal hummingbirds recorded in North America. According to Earth Life, it is one of the largest and the most vocal hummingbirds in the United States, the only species to produce a song, with males producing a complex series of scratchy noises while moving between flowers. Utah birders lucky enough to hear one should not expect the silent hover typical of the state’s other four species.
Utah’s hummingbird lineup rewards patience and a little planning. Timing feeders to each species’ arrival, from the early black-chinned in southern deserts to the late-season calliope passing through mountain meadows, turns a backyard into a reliable stopover. For a deeper look at what actually pulls these birds in, from nectar ratios to plant choices, the tips in this guide to attracting hummingbirds apply just as well to a Salt Lake City garden as they do anywhere else in hummingbird range.