What does the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird eat?

The Rufous-tailed Hummingbird's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Nectarivore, primarily feeding on nectar from a wide variety of flowering plants. Also consumes small insects and spiders for protein.

How it forages

Feeds primarily on nectar, hovering in front of flowers and extending its long tongue to extract nectar. It is an opportunistic feeder, visiting a wide variety of flowering plants. Also catches small insects and spiders on the wing or gleans them from foliage, especially important for protein during breeding. Often defends rich feeding territories against other hummingbirds and insects.

When it feeds

Diurnal, most active during daylight hours, particularly in the morning and late afternoon.

Explore the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird