The Pacific Northwest is one of the best places in North America to be a hummingbird gardener, and one of the few places on the continent where you can watch a hummingbird in the snow. Four species occur regularly across Washington, Oregon, and southwestern British Columbia, and which ones visit your yard depends almost entirely on one thing: whether you live west or east of the Cascades.

Here is who lives here, when they arrive, what to plant for them, and how to keep a feeder going through a Northwest winter.

The Cascade Divide

This single geographic fact organizes hummingbird life in the region.

West of the Cascades, in the wet, mild country from Vancouver and Victoria down through Seattle and Portland to the Oregon coast, you will mostly see two species: Anna’s Hummingbird, present year-round, and Rufous Hummingbird, arriving each spring to breed. This is the winter-hummingbird zone, and the reason Northwest feeders stay up in January.

East of the Cascades, in the drier interior of eastern Washington and Oregon and the BC interior, the cast changes. Rufous is still there, but Calliope and Black-chinned Hummingbirds join it, both favoring dry country. Anna’s is increasingly present but far less reliable than on the coast. The season here is shorter and more sharply defined, essentially spring through late summer.

If you are unsure which side you are on, the rain tells you.

The Four Regular Species

Anna’s Hummingbird is the Northwest’s year-round resident and, for most western Washington, Oregon, and coastal BC gardeners, the bird at the feeder in every season. Males show a rose-pink crown and throat, unique among North American hummingbirds. Remarkably, Anna’s did not live here at all a century ago: it spread north from California as ornamental gardens and backyard feeders created winter food where none existed. It now nests as far north as Vancouver Island, sometimes beginning in the depths of winter. Read the article on the Anna’s Hummingbird.

Rufous Hummingbird is the fiery one. Males are coppery orange with a scarlet gorget, and their temperament matches: a single Rufous will try to run every other hummingbird off your feeder. This is the species that breeds farther north than any hummingbird on Earth, reaching southeast Alaska, and the Northwest is its breeding heartland. It is also declining and is now listed as Near Threatened, which makes what you plant in your garden more significant. The article on the Rufous Hummingbird provides more detail.

Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the United States and a bird of the dry interior, favoring mountain meadows and shrub-steppe on the east side. Males show a magenta gorget of separate streaming rays.

Black-chinned Hummingbird is the other east-side specialist, at home in canyons, riparian corridors, and towns. The male’s throat looks plain black until light catches a thin violet band beneath it, and both sexes pump their tails while hovering, which is a reliable clue. Read more about the Black-chinned Hummingbird.

Rare visitors. Costa’s, Allen’s, and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds turn up occasionally, usually as single birds that draw local birders. In eastern British Columbia, east of the Rockies, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds also occur. If you think you have seen an unusual hummingbird, the article on North American hummingbird species provides more information.

The Northwest Hummingbird Calendar

Winter (December to February). West of the Cascades, Anna’s are present and feeding, and may already be nesting. This is the season that makes Northwest hummingbird keeping distinctive. East of the mountains, expect few or none.

Early spring (late February to April). Red-flowering currant begins blooming, sometimes as early as February, and Rufous Hummingbirds arrive from Mexico, typically reaching Oregon and Washington in March and continuing into British Columbia through April. Coastal and southwestern areas see them first. Have feeders out before they land.

Late spring (April to May). Calliope and Black-chinned arrive on the east side as snow recedes, generally by April or May.

Summer. All four species are present and breeding, with Rufous and Calliope drifting upslope into mountain meadows to follow the alpine bloom.

Late summer to fall. The migrants head south, generally departing through late summer and early fall. Anna’s stays. Leave feeders up a few weeks after your last Rufous sighting for late migrants; it will not delay anyone’s departure. Our guide to feeder timing covers the general principles. (Internal link to the timing page.)

Winter Feeding: The Northwest Specialty

Because Anna’s overwinters here, Pacific Northwest gardeners face a challenge almost nobody else in North America deals with: keeping sugar water liquid on a freezing night.

The problem is real and worth taking seriously. A hummingbird spends a winter night in torpor, its body temperature and metabolism dropping dramatically to survive until dawn, and it wakes with almost no fuel in reserve. A feeder frozen solid at first light is a feeder failing at the exact moment it matters most.

The fixes are simple:

• Run two feeders and rotate them. Keep one indoors thawing, swap at dawn and dusk. This is the cheapest and most reliable method.
• Bring the feeder in overnight and put it back out before first light, which is when the birds most need it.
• Use a purpose-made feeder heater or warming device, several of which are sold for exactly this.
• Never add anything to the nectar to lower its freezing point. The standard one-part-sugar to four-parts-water recipe is the only safe mix, in winter as in summer.

Our nectar recipe and feeder guide covers the recipe and cleaning routine in full. (Internal link to the nectar pillar.)

What to Plant in the Pacific Northwest

The region’s mild, wet climate supports a long flowering season, and a well-planned Northwest garden can feed hummingbirds nearly year-round.

The single most valuable native is red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum). It blooms as early as February, precisely when Anna’s are already nesting and Rufous are arriving to find little else open. If you plant one thing for hummingbirds here, plant this.

Other strong natives:

• Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), another very early bloomer
• Orange honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa), a native climbing vine
• Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa)
• Twinberry honeysuckle (Lonicera involucrata)
• Douglas spirea and native penstemons for mid to late season

Reliable non-natives that Northwest hummingbirds use heavily include fuchsia, especially hardy and trailing varieties in hanging baskets, and nasturtium. Both are excellent container plants for a deck or patio, and both are proven favorites in coastal gardens.

Aim for continuous bloom from February through October, skip broad-spectrum pesticides so the small insects hummingbirds need survive, and remember that a mister or dripper will draw birds a conventional birdbath never will. Our guide to attracting hummingbirds covers the full approach. (Internal link to the garden page.)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many hummingbird species live in the Pacific Northwest? Four occur regularly: Anna’s, Rufous, Calliope, and Black-chinned. Anna’s and Rufous dominate west of the Cascades, while Calliope and Black-chinned favor the drier eastern interior. Costa’s, Allen’s, and Broad-tailed appear rarely.

Do hummingbirds stay in the Pacific Northwest all winter? Yes, west of the Cascades. Anna’s Hummingbirds are year-round residents and are regularly seen through winter from Oregon up into coastal British Columbia.

When do hummingbirds arrive in the Pacific Northwest? Rufous typically arrive in March and April, reaching British Columbia through April. Calliope and Black-chinned reach the east side by April or May. Anna’s is already here.

Should I feed hummingbirds through a Northwest winter? Yes if you are west of the Cascades. The main task is keeping the nectar from freezing, most easily by rotating two feeders or bringing one in overnight.

What is the best plant for hummingbirds in the Pacific Northwest? Red-flowering currant. It blooms in February, when Anna’s are nesting and Rufous are arriving and almost nothing else is open.

Will leaving my feeder up stop hummingbirds from migrating? No. Migration is triggered by day length, not food. Leaving a feeder up simply helps late migrants refuel.

Conclusion

The Pacific Northwest gives hummingbird gardeners something rare: a season that never entirely ends. Plant red-flowering currant for February, keep the fuchsias going through summer, and put a feeder out that does not freeze, and you can watch hummingbirds from your window in every month of the year. Given that one of your regulars is a declining species making an 8,000-mile round trip, and the other only lives here because gardeners made it possible, it is a region where what you plant genuinely matters.