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Hummingbird Travel Guide to Parks, Festivals, Museums and More

By James & Ruth White

Hummingbird travel can be fun and interesting.

Where are the best places to see hummingbirds?

In our research about hummingbirds, we were made aware of the wealth of travel opportunities for the hummingbird enthusiast.

We are really happy to begin sharing these with you.

Whether you are looking for a romantic getaway, an exciting adventure, or a simple family outing, there many related to the hummingbird.

The most obvious place for most of us to see hummingbirds is our own backyards.

We don't need to travel very far and all anyone needs to do is learn about attracting hummingbirds.

However, hummingbirds are migratory and so many of us suffer from hummingbird deprivation during the winter months.

We can travel to Arizona or California because these states host hummingbirds year round.

Arizona is a hotspot and definitely the place to go.

Arizona has 11 species of hummingbirds, more than any other state in the U.S.

In this country, when you consider time of year and weather conditions, there are parks in various states where you can see hummingbirds in the wild.

These parks encourage visitors to sit and watch for the birds by providing benches.

Some even have field guides for hikers.

If you are a hiker, the hummingbird to see is the Broad-tailed hummingbird or commonly named the Mountain hummingbird.

We even know of people who bring there hummingbird feeders along on a hike to get a close-up view of these spectacular hummingbirds.

Hummingbird Travel Categories and Links:

Aviaries with Hummingbirds

  • Aviaries - Hummingbirds do not live well in captivity. This is why only a few aviaries have hummingbirds at all. The few that do are large enough to allow for the territorial birds to live comfortably without stress.They also have an eco-system that duplicates their environment in the wild. These aviaries fit the bill..no pun intended!

              Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
              San Diego Zoo
              Cameron Zoological Park
              Butterfly World Park

Museums - with exhibits dedicated to hummingbirds

  • Museums -with exhibits dedicated to hummingbirds

               Vermont Fairbanks Museum
               Birds of Vermont Museum

Art exhibits

  • Art exhibits -containing hummingbird art. The most famous hummingbird artists are James Audubon, John Gould and Frieda Khalo. You can find current art exhibitions of their work.

               National Museum of Wildlife Art

Hummingbird Festivals

  • Hummingbird Festivals - fun outings often with banding demonstrations, "Adopt-A-Hummingbird", and many activities for children and adults alike.

See the current schedule of Hummingbird Festivals

Gardens/Sanctuaries

  • Gardens/Sanctuaries -both public and private, often with tours of specific flowers preferred by hummingbirds. Some have lovely fountains, misters, and bird baths enjoyed by hummingbirds

We recommend Ramsey Canyon Preserve in Hereford Arizona. 


One of the famous hummingbird gardens is Marion Paton's Birders Haven Hummingbird Garden.

Marion and Wally Paton lived on a hummingbird migration route.

So they kept their feeders full for 15 species of hummingbirds that passed through during their migration journey.

Even though the Patons have passed, local birders continue to fill the feeders for the countless hummingbirds who travel here.

We think of this location as an almost sacred tribute to the hummingbirds. 

                 Ramsey Canyon Preserve
                 Paton Hummingbird Garden
                 Ash Canyon Bird Sanctuary

Inns/Lodges

  • Inns/Lodges - named for the hummingbird, many with gardens, feeders, and many hummingbirds.

                El Suzanne Rainforest Lodge, Trinidad
                Rancho Naturalista, Costa Rica
                Hotel Villa San Ignacio, Costa Rica

Bed and Breakfasts

  • Bed and Breakfasts - offering a greater chance to meet other hummingbird enthusiasts.

               Hummer House B&B

Parks

  • Parks - in the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and South America with hiking areas and family nature parks to view hummingbirds.

    Arza-Borrego Dessert Park in San Diego County, California is the largest state park in California. This park has dozens of hiking trails with views of wild flowers and birds including hummingbirds.

    The Living Dessert and Zoo in Palm Springs, California -here in August you might see hundreds of Anna's and Costa's

    Madera Canyon Park, Green Valley Arizona is a hummingbird aficionado's dream. When you visit this park, you will see a lot of hummingbirds in their most natural environment. In particular, take the Agua Caliente Trail to find hummingbirds.

    Davis Mountain State Park, Fort Davis, Texas has a remarkable 15 species of hummingbirds.If you enjoy camping, this park is great for you.

                The Living Desert Zoo
                Madera Canyon Park
                Davis Mountains State Park

RV Parks

  • RV Parks - offers campsites to park an RV (Recreational Vehicle) to enjoy hummingbird watching.

               Patagonia RV Park

Resorts

Resorts -romantic travel with first class accommodations containing hummingbird gardens for the romantic couple.
                
        The Tingalayas Retreat

Photography Tours

  • Photography Tours -in the Unites States, Costa Rica, and South America where it is possible to learn the professional techniques of hummingbird picture taking.

             Casa Ana Birding, Cuba

Do you enjoy travel with a spouse, family members, friends or alone?

There are even websites that connect birding travel buddies.....
"Find a birder to go birdwatching with anywhere in the world" at Birdingpal.org.




Check back to this page often. We will continue to add new hummingbird travel opportunities as we discover them.

Happy Travel Days to You!

James & Ruth White

James and Ruth White are Certified Hummingbird Habitat stewards with the International Hummingbird Society, specializing in backyard hummingbird care, behavior, and conservation. With 45+ years of hands-on experience, they have cared for over 1,000 hummingbirds, built two large perennial gardens, and support a community of 30,000+ subscribers through hummingbird-guide.com, their widely followed migration map, and active social channels. They observe hummingbirds daily across 12 home feeders and document their behavior through photography and video.