How to Attract Hummingbirds in North Dakota: A Backyard Sanctuary Guide

North Dakota sits at the northwestern edge of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird's breeding range, so sightings here are genuinely rarer than almost anywhere else in this guide series — but the state's own records hold a remarkable story anyway. In the summer of 2021, two different rare hummingbirds, a Rufous and a Calliope, were documented at the very same Dickinson location the very same week.

Whether you're gardening in Fargo, Bismarck, or the Turtle Mountains, this guide will walk you through everything you need to turn your space into a North Dakota hummingbird destination: who's around and when, how to size your setup to any space, feeder and nectar care, pest-safe cleaning, and the native plants and wildflower seed varieties that thrive in North Dakota's climate.

The short version, if you're in a hurry:

To attract hummingbirds in North Dakota, put up a leak-proof feeder filled with fresh, dye-free nectar by late April to early May, keep it clean and refilled every 1–6 days depending on heat, skip the insecticide so hummingbirds can still hunt insects for protein, and plant native, nectar-rich flowers like bee balm, columbine, and blazing star so your yard offers real food alongside the feeder.

• Species you'll see: Ruby-throated is North Dakota's only regular breeder and the only species you should really expect; Rufous is a real, recurring rare visitor with a pattern spanning three decades; Anna's, Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, and Calliope are each a single-record historic rarity
• Best feeder type: leak-proof design with a comfort perch, like the AspenPerch® Hummingbird Feeder
• Best nectar: plain 4:1 water-to-sugar ratio, no red dye — or Pop's Nectar with added electrolytes and calcium
• Feeder timing: up by late April to early May statewide, ahead of Ruby-throated's mid-May arrival
• Nectar change frequency: every 1–2 days above 90°F, every 5–6 days below 70°F
• Pest control: no insecticide — use vinegar-water spray and HummGuard® nectar tips instead
• Top native plants: bee balm, columbine, blazing star, bearberry (varies by region — see below)
• Best wildflower planting window: September through early October, ahead of North Dakota's early winter

Which Hummingbirds You'll See in North Dakota

North Dakota's documented list holds six species, and one bird accounts for almost every sighting. Ruby-throated Hummingbird is North Dakota's only regular breeder, though numbers here are genuinely thinner than almost anywhere else in this guide series since the state sits at the northwestern edge of the species' range. Rufous Hummingbird is North Dakota's most frequently recorded western vagrant, with a real, documented recurring pattern stretching from a 1995 Bismarck record through a 2021 Dickinson sighting. Anna's Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, and Broad-tailed Hummingbird each have exactly one accepted North Dakota record, and Calliope Hummingbird's single record is the other half of that remarkable 2021 Dickinson story — a second rare hummingbird, present at the same spot the same week as the Rufous.

When Do Hummingbirds Arrive and Leave North Dakota?

Ruby-throated Hummingbird is North Dakota's only regular breeder, and numbers here run thinner than almost anywhere else in this guide series — the state sits at the northwestern edge of the species' range. It arrives statewide in mid-May, peaks in the last week of August, and clears out by late September, though the exact dates shift by county: Fargo (Cass County) and Bismarck (Burleigh County) run on slightly different schedules, and Dickinson (Stark County), in the state's west, gets a much thinner, later presence.

*Stark County's sample is thin — closer to 100 checklists a week even at its August peak — so treat its numbers as directional rather than precise. Based on eBird checklist data (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), 2016–2025.

Attracting Hummingbirds No Matter Your Space

You don't need acres of land to invite wonder into your yard. Hummingbirds are famously adaptable — all they're really looking for is a dependable food source, a safe place to perch, and a little color.

• Small patio or balcony: One feeder hung from a bracket or shepherd's hook, paired with a container of red or orange tubular blooms like salvia, is plenty to get noticed. Hummingbirds are solitary feeders by nature, so a single feeder works great in tight spaces. For the full setup, see our guide to the best hummingbird products for a small patio or balcony.
• Average backyard: Add a mix of feeders and native blooms along a fence line or garden bed, and give your visitors a swing or two nearby to rest and survey their territory between sips.
• Large yard with trees: Take advantage of the shade. Hummingbirds prefer feeders and plantings tucked out of harsh, direct afternoon sun, with a nearby branch to perch on and watch for rivals. Shelterbelts, river valleys, and mature yard trees all provide the kind of cover and nesting habitat hummingbirds look for on the open prairie.

Choose a Leak-Proof Feeder

A feeder is only as good as what's in it — and how well it's kept. Pop's AspenPerch® Hummingbird Feeder is leak-proof by design and paired with our patented Polyperch® comfort perch, so your hummingbirds can rest and feed at the same time instead of hovering the whole meal.

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AspenPerch® Hummingbird Feeder, 8 oz

Leak-proof by design, with a patented Polyperch® comfort perch built in — so your hummingbirds can rest and feed at the same time instead of hovering through the whole meal. You get to see their tongue in action versus their back!

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Keep Feeders Clean with Fresh Nectar

Skip the Red Dye

Your feeder's color does the attracting; dyed nectar offers no benefit and can be harmful to a hummingbird's health.

Use a Real Nectar Recipe

Use a 4:1 plain sugar-water ratio to make your hummingbird nectar and read our full recipe guide to get your batch right. You can also use our nectar mixing calculator for any unit of choice to get the full breakdown on sugar to water ratio. Or skip the math with the ready-to-use option below.

Just getting your first feeder going? Nectarade® Ready to Use Liquid comes pre-mixed and ready to pour — no measuring, no mixing, nothing to commit to before you know how much traffic you'll get.

Shop the Ready to Use Nectar →

Only Fill Enough to Change Often

An 8 oz feeder rarely needs to be topped all the way off — overfilling just means more nectar sitting around long enough to spoil.

How Often to Change Nectar in North Dakota

Sugar water ferments faster the hotter it gets. Use this as your rule of thumb:

If the nectar ever looks cloudy before that window is up, change it early — cloudiness means it's already started to ferment.

Keeping Feeders Pest-Free Without Insecticide

Hummingbirds don't live on nectar alone — small insects make up a big part of their protein diet, especially for feeding chicks. That means insect spray is off the table around your feeding station; it removes a food source hummingbirds depend on and can be harmful to them directly. Clean your feeder every time you change the nectar, using warm water and a bottle brush — no soap residue, no bleach. A little vinegar and water solution works great for breaking down sticky buildup or the beginnings of mold.

Ants

Deter ants with a vinegar-water spray around (not on) the feeder ports, or wipe down the hanging hook where ants tend to march down. Coating the wire or string hanging your feeder with a thin layer of mineral oil also keeps crawling insects from reaching the nectar.

Bees and Wasps

Bees and wasps are drawn to the same sugar water your hummingbirds are after.

HummGuard® Nectar Tips slide right onto the AspenPerch's feeding ports — the flexible membrane opens easily for a hummingbird's beak but closes tight against anything bigger, keeping your nectar exclusively for the birds it's meant for.

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Plant a North Dakota Native Hummingbird Garden

Feeders are a wonderful supplement, but nothing beats real, native nectar. Native plants evolved right alongside North Dakota's hummingbirds, so they bloom on the right schedule and produce exactly the nectar these birds are looking for.

Best native nectar plants for North Dakota:

• Bee balm — a hummingbird and butterfly favorite in the mint family, native across North America
• Columbine — an early, reliable bloomer
• Blazing star — a tall, bright pink-purple spike visible to hummingbirds from a distance, blooming mid-to-late summer
• Bearberry — a low-growing groundcover with small, nectar-rich flowers, useful for filling in garden edges

Pop's tip: Plan for blooms at slightly different times across the season — something ready for the first May arrivals, and something else carrying through summer into breeding season — to keep a steady nectar supply going for as long as hummingbirds are actually present in North Dakota. Be cautious with non-native foxglove, too; it can displace native flora in riparian areas, so check with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture before planting it.

To make this easy, our Perfect Little Sanctuary® Wildflower Seed Blend is designed to bring nectar-rich color into your yard with minimal fuss.

If You're Near the Border

Hummingbirds don't check a map before deciding where to feed, so if you're near a state line, your best guide might be a blend of both.

Near Minnesota: Minnesota is confirmed native for both Lance-Leaved Coreopsis and Perennial Lupine, while North Dakota is not — a genuine difference. See our Minnesota guide for more.

Near South Dakota: Nearly identical Great Plains pattern — neither state is confirmed native for Coreopsis, Coneflower, or Lupine. See our South Dakota guide for more.

Near Montana: Shared dry, cold Mountain West and Plains blend performance. See our Montana guide for more.

When to Plant the Perfect Little Sanctuary® Blend in North Dakota

Early fall is the best planting window in North Dakota — aim for September through early October, ahead of the state's early winter. This timing is based on the germination needs of the blend's own 12 varieties: 9 of the 12 either need or benefit from a cold, moist stratification period before they'll germinate well, and North Dakota's winter cold does that work naturally, provided seed goes down before the ground freezes solid. Spring planting, once the soil has thawed, is a reliable backup.

Ready to plant? Perfect Little Sanctuary® Wildflower Seed Blend packs all 12 varieties into one packet — no separate shopping trips before North Dakota's early fall planting window.

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Top Performers in North Dakota

The Perfect Little Sanctuary® blend contains 12 varieties, and North Dakota's harsh winters and confirmed native ranges point to a lineup similar to its Great Plains and Mountain West neighbors:

• Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) — broadly native and a reliable performer through North Dakota's short growing season
• White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) — broadly native, extremely cold-hardy and drought tolerant
• Siberian Wallflower (Cheiranthus allionii) — not a confirmed North Dakota native, but its preference for cool, dry conditions suits the climate well
• Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) — not confirmed native to North Dakota specifically, but heat- and drought-tolerant enough to hold its own on the prairie
• Painted Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum) — not a North Dakota native, but a dependable, heat-tolerant annual bloomer
• Lance-Leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) — not confirmed native to North Dakota, but drought tolerant once established and commonly grown successfully with modest water

Pop's tip: You don't need to do anything special to favor these — just sow the blend as directed. The rest of the mix still adds seasonal color, but these varieties are the ones that will do the heaviest lifting in a North Dakota yard.

Give Them a Place to Rest

Hummingbirds spend a surprising amount of their day perched, not flying — watching their territory, digesting, and simply resting between feedings. A Pop's Original Hummingbird Swing hung near your feeder gives them exactly that spot, and it turns your feeding station into a front-row seat for watching them up close. Hang it about 1 foot from your feeder, at the same height (Pop's rule of thumb) — see our guide on where to hang your hummingbird swing for placement tips — and don't be surprised if a hummingbird claims it as their own personal lookout post.

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Original Series Hummingbird Swing, Onyx

Give hummingbirds a place to rest between sips, and turn your feeding station into a front-row seat for watching them up close.

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Keep Your Sanctuary Safe from Predators

A feeding station draws more than hummingbirds, and knowing what's actually worth worrying about — and what isn't — makes for a safer yard. Cats and window strikes are the two best-documented threats to hummingbirds around any home. See our full Hummingbird Predators guide for the complete picture. Praying mantis predation on hummingbirds is a real, documented phenomenon nationally; we were not able to confirm a North Dakota-specific record before this guide's publication, so treat that risk as real but unconfirmed locally rather than either dismissed or overstated.

Summary: Key Takeaways for Attracting Hummingbirds in North Dakota

Building a hummingbird-friendly yard doesn't take a green thumb or a big budget — just a little consistency and the right setup. Here's everything from this guide in one place:

• Ruby-throated Hummingbird is North Dakota's only regular breeder, and genuinely rarer here than in most of the country, since the state sits at the northwestern edge of the breeding range
• Rufous Hummingbird is North Dakota's most frequently recorded rare visitor, with a real, recurring pattern since 1995; Anna's, Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, and Calliope are each a single-record historic rarity
• Feeder timing: up by late April to early May statewide, ahead of Ruby-throated's mid-May arrival
• Any size space works — one feeder is plenty for a balcony; larger yards can support multiple feeders spaced apart, since hummingbirds are territorial
• Use a leak-proof feeder with a comfort perch, like the AspenPerch®, and fill it only as full as it'll be drunk in a few days
• Skip red dye in nectar; a plain 4:1 sugar-water ratio or Pop's Nectar (with electrolytes and calcium) both work
• Change nectar every 1–2 days above 90°F, up to every 5–6 days below 70°F
• Clean the feeder at every nectar change with warm water and vinegar — no soap or bleach
• Never use insecticide near feeders; hummingbirds rely on insects for protein. Use vinegar-water spray and HummGuard® nectar tips for pest control instead
• Add a hummingbird swing near the feeder to give hummingbirds a place to rest and be observed up close
• Cats and window strikes are the two best-documented threats to hummingbirds around any home
• Native, nectar-rich plants (bee balm, columbine, blazing star, bearberry) do more for hummingbirds long-term than feeders alone
• Sow wildflower seed in September through early October, ahead of North Dakota's early winter; Black-Eyed Susan, White Yarrow, Siberian Wallflower, Indian Blanket, Painted Daisy, and Lance-Leaved Coreopsis are the strongest North Dakota performers in Pop's Perfect Little Sanctuary® blend

Get these basics in place, and the wonder takes care of itself.

This guide covers what's specific to North Dakota — the species, the timing, the plants that belong here. For the fundamentals that apply anywhere, including water sources, shelter, and how the pieces work together, read our guide to building the ultimate hummingbird sanctuary.

Frequently Asked Questions

A few of the questions we hear most from fellow hummingbird lovers across North Dakota:

When should I put my hummingbird feeder out in North Dakota?

Late April to early May is a safe target statewide — Ruby-throateds typically arrive in mid-May, so a feeder up by early May is ready before the first birds.

Are hummingbirds actually common in North Dakota?

No, and that's worth knowing going in — North Dakota sits at the edge of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird's breeding range, so sightings are genuinely less frequent here than in most of the country. A well-prepared yard still has a real chance of attracting them, though.

Do hummingbirds stay in North Dakota year-round?

No. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrate south each fall, typically gone by mid-to-late September. Rare Rufous Hummingbirds sometimes pass through even later in the season.

How often should I clean my hummingbird feeder in North Dakota?

Clean it every time you change the nectar — as often as every 1–2 days when temperatures top 90°F, and at least every 5–6 days in cooler weather.

What are the best plants to attract hummingbirds in North Dakota?

Bee balm and columbine perform well across the state, with blazing star and bearberry as strong supporting choices. Native, tubular, red or orange flowers are the general rule of thumb.

North Dakota Hummingbird Resources

Audubon Chapters

North Dakota is home to several local Audubon chapters across the state. Find the one closest to you with Audubon's Find Your Local Audubon tool.

If You Find an Injured or Grounded Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are protected under federal and North Dakota state law, so only a licensed wildlife rehabilitator can legally care for one.

• North Dakota Game and Fish Department — call 701-328-6300, or contact your closest regional office
• Dakota Zoo (Bismarck) — has run a raptor rehabilitation program for over 40 years, though it is not a general songbird facility

Sources

• eBird bar chart data, Cornell Lab of Ornithology — North Dakota statewide, 2016–2025.
• North Dakota Bird Records Committee, North Dakota Birding Society — source for every species' status and record history referenced on this page.

Why We Built This Guide

Pop's Birding has been helping hummingbird lovers for three generations. One of the questions our customers ask most often is "How do I actually attract more hummingbirds to my yard?" — we built this guide to give a direct, practical answer, not a generic one. North Dakota is genuinely one of the rarer places in the country to host hummingbirds, sitting at the edge of Ruby-throated's breeding range, but the state's own records hold a story most general references would never catch: two rare species, a Rufous and a Calliope, documented at the same Dickinson location the same week in 2021. We wanted a guide honest about how rare hummingbirds are here, without losing that kind of detail.

How We Built This Guide

The species and timing information here points back to our companion North Dakota species guide and our own North Dakota hummingbird calendar, rather than re-deriving the analysis on this page — the actionable takeaways are the early-May statewide feeder window and the region-by-region spread across Cass County (Fargo), Burleigh County (Bismarck), and the thinner, later presence in Stark County (Dickinson). The nectar-change schedule uses the same temperature bands as every state's guide, since fermentation speed is driven by heat rather than anything North Dakota-specific. We checked whether praying mantis predation, a real documented risk nationally, has a confirmed record in North Dakota specifically, and could not find one either way — so we treat it as real but unconfirmed locally, not silently skipped or assumed either direction.