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The Best Time of Day to Photograph Hummingbirds & How To Snap Them

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There surely cannot be a bird watcher that doesn’t love hummingbirds. And for those of us that photograph birds, it is usually a life ambition to shoot them. After simply staring in wonder at them as they flit from blossom to blossom, then photographing them whilst stationary, finally, with observation and practice, we try to capture them in flight. Given hummingbird wings can beat up to 80 times per second, it’s no easy task to photograph them, but there are some times of day where doing so is somewhat easier.

In this article we explore how understanding their daily rhythms, combined with optimal conditions and strategic planning, allows photographers to capture their most stunning images. We’ve also included the camera lens and settings used to capture each of the images in this article to give you a bit of a guide.

Understanding Hummingbird Behavior and Activity Patterns

Hummingbirds are often most active and hungry after a night of sleep and/or torpor. They will be aggressively feeding at flowers and feeders early in the morning. This is a great time to photograph them as this ‘golden hour’ time gives warm, soft, diffused light of the early morning. It enhances their iridescence and creates pleasing catchlights in their eyes. The low angle of light also minimizes harsh shadows.

Heading to an established feeding area or set of nectar feeders will make the photographer’s life easier. If possible, scope out the location beforehand to see where you can shoot from, where the birds will be landing and where the best light will be.

Mid-morning can also be a good time for photography as the sun is still rising and won’t be too harsh. Hummers will still be active, but feeding might be less intense. They might be more territorial or engaged in other behaviors like perching, preening, or chasing rivals, all of which can make attractive photographs.

By midday the direct, overhead sun creates harsh shadows, blown-out highlights, and reduces the vibrancy of their iridescent feathers. Hummingbird activity may well decrease as they begin to seek shade. Photography in dappled light or full shade can still be effective but you are less likely to be successful capturing them in flight. A flash can be used in the shade and produce attractive images but they will look very different to those taken in sunshine.

By late afternoon to dusk, hummingbirds become active again, similar to morning, as they fill up before nightfall. A different ‘golden hour’ of light returns with warmth and softness offering the same benefits as the morning. It is often considered the best time by many for its warmth and direction.

The Crucial Role of Light: Beyond the Clock

As discussed, the golden hours of the day give the most benefits of warm, soft, directional light, it can create a halo effect around the bird and accentuates iridescence. We know that for optimum conditions, we need the sun behind us, lighting up the bird. However, we also know how unpredictable birds are and how fast hummingbirds, in particular, can move. Don’t despair if this means you end up with the sun behind the bird when you take your shot, as backlighting can give a lovely warmth of rim light and glow.

You may consider (or be forced to) shoot hummers on an overcast day. This has its own benefits as diffused and even light is excellent for revealing feather detail and vibrant colors without harsh shadows. This lighting is good for true color representation and, with cooler, less harsh conditions, you can photograph all day without worrying about the position of the sun. The biggest disadvantage of shooting in overcast conditions is that hummingbirds’ brilliant colors can appear dull or sometimes disappear entirely without a certain amount of sunlight, for reasons we’ll discuss below.

Hummingbird Colors: No Such Thing?

Hummingbird colors are a stunning example of structural coloration, not simply pigmented colors like those in a painted surface, which causes this effect. Unlike a robin’s red breast, which gets its color from actual red pigment molecules in the feathers, most of the vibrant, shimmering hues of hummingbirds (like their iridescent greens, blues, and reds) do not come from pigments.

Rather, their dazzling colors are produced by the microscopic structure of their feathers, particularly in specialized cells called melanosomes within the feather barbules (tiny, flattened branches off the main feather shaft). These melanosomes are often shaped like tiny pancakes and contain layers of air bubbles. When white light (which contains all colors of the rainbow) hits these precisely arranged microscopic structures, some wavelengths of light are absorbed, while others are reflected, bent and interfered with. This phenomenon, similar to how a soap bubble or oil slick shows rainbow colors, is called thin-film interference and diffraction.

Because the color depends on how light waves interact with these structures, the perceived color changes dramatically with the angle of light and the angle of the observer. As a hummingbird moves or turns its head, the light hits these nanostructures at different angles, causing different wavelengths to be constructively reinforced and reflected back to our eyes. This makes the colors appear to flash, shimmer, or completely transform from one hue to another, or even look black, depending on the orientation.

The Role of Flash

A dedicated flash can be used during any time of day to fill in harsh shadows, especially at midday or in overcast conditions. It can also illuminate the bird and freeze wing blur even in bright light. For most of us, using a flash is another tool in our box of tricks to photograph fast moving birds like hummingbirds. There are many types of flash and strategies for using them but for general amateur photography, an embedded or attached flash will suffice, if the birds are in a reliable, close location.

Location, Location, Location

While there are some species of hummingbird that visit the eastern states of the U.S. (in particular, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird) during the summer months, the greatest variety of hummingbird species is found in the south-west states. Obviously, if you are not in a region where hummingbirds visit, you will need to plan a trip to see them.

Within their ranges, the best places to find hummingbirds are:

Home Gardens with nectar feeders and a hummingbird friendly garden. Those with native flowers that attract hummingbirds like Bee Balm, Trumpet Vine, Cardinal Flower, Salvia, Honeysuckle etc are best.

Public and Botanical Gardens are great for variety and often more predictable encounters. Start by researching their hours and peak blooming seasons. You can see which species of hummers are present by checking local hummingbird reporting sites or eBird.

Essential Gear and Settings

Camera and Lens

Sharp, clear photos of hummingbirds requires more sophisticated gear than your average point and shoot camera. DSLR or Mirrorless systems with good low-light performance and fast autofocus are the minimum you need. In order to not disturb the birds but still get close enough, you should have a telephoto lens of 300mm+. You need to practice using these so you can balance not disturbing the birds with getting sharp, close up shots.

Tripod

You may consider using a tripod or even a monopod to improve your stability, especially in lower light or with heavy lenses. However, this does make it slower to move around and track the birds.

Flash

As discussed earlier, having a dedicated speedlight in your kit is great.

Aperture

Your camera and lens set up should allow for a fast aperture of around f/2.8 or f/4 (ideally). This means the lens is open wide and allows the maximum amount of light in. It is particularly good for low light and background blur.

Shutter Speed

Crucial for freezing wings of hummingbirds in flight is a fast shutter speed. This means at least 1/2000s or faster. With a flash, you can increase this further. However, you can still achieve sharp shots with slower speeds if you can get close to the birds.

ISO

Your ISO should be as low as possible in good light, higher in low light. Remember that the higher the ISO, the more grain your images will have, although many processing programs can reduce that. You may want to consider using auto ISO with a minimum shutter speed.

Focusing

Use the camera’s continuous autofocus (AI Servo/AF-C) to track moving birds and narrow to the Spot AF or Zone AF for precision. While you are waiting for birds to appear, pre-focus on a feeder or flowers.

Burst Mode

Use the continuous shot function on your camera to take a fast series of photos that you can review later. This is essential for capturing the precise moment.

To get great photos, you need to balance the aperture, ISO and shutter speed according to the conditions and whether the bird is moving or not. Advanced photographers will always use manual settings to control all these functions and adjust them quickly as necessary. The key is the shutter speed: a sharp image that is under-exposed can be corrected during processing, whereas a blurred subject is nearly impossible to sharpen up.

Final Thoughts

Photographing hummingbirds is difficult but hugely rewarding. Once you have found a location where they can be reliably seen, it is a balancing act revolving around the amount of natural light. For me, the key points are to have as high a shutter speed as possible to freeze them in motion and to use the burst mode. I have been amazed at the difference between shots taken mili-seconds apart as the birds turns from shade to light and their colors just light up.

So, to answer the original question: ‘What is the best time of day to photograph hummingbirds?’ the most simple answer is ‘when there is full sunlight’. The more complicated truth however is that there is no ‘best’ time to photograph a hummingbird: the best time is whenever you see them! If this is in full sunlight, then great; if you can get close enough to use a flash, then great; if you take blurry, dark shots then it’s just another reason to try again! We just can’t get enough of these little marvels.

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