I read the same thing. It would not deter me from having bougainvillea. More food for thought..

"Placing hummingbird-friendly plants in the garden is important as a source of food, but the birds do not live on flowers alone.

"Hummingbirds like nectar and insects," said Jill Himonas, owner of the Wild Bird Center in Monterey, California. "They dine at the flowers and get the little insects inside the flowers as they go."

Here's a short list of some hummingbird-friendly plants and the approximate seasons in which they bloom. A longer list can be found at www.laspilitas.com/garden/hummingbird.html.:

July-September: Penstemon, monkeyflower, salvia, cosmos, foxglove, hibiscus, butterfly bush, bougainvillea"

A link that might be useful:

voices.yahoo.com/how-attract-hummingbirds-garden-year-round-4205983.html

Hi,I know that they are attracted to them, for a few early mornings this last fall, I saw one at my bright pink bougainvillea on the edge of the yard, but it was so far away, I wasn't sure that it actually WAS a hummingbird-until I walked out my front door and almost smack dab into a hummingbird busy at work on my purple and white petunias in a hanging basket. Bougainvillea also attracts butterflies, and is a very nice habitat for small nesting birds. I found an old nest that fit in the palm of my hand while pruning it back after purchasing the property. If I were a small bird, I'd rest and nest there, the thorns are wicked, but easily navigated if you're little. I saw a red tailed hawk land in mine, and frantically fly away. Good little bird sanctuary. :)

As an aside, four o'clocks are hummingbird food, but I never see them listed. I grew up having hummingbirds buzzing around our four o'clocks in central Florida. A lot of people don't like them because they are prolific seeders and not fussy about where they live, but as a beginning gardener, I like that! And they smell nice, too. :)

I dont think there is much nectar in a bouganvillea, but I put one near my hummer feeder so that those attracted to the bouganvilleasbougainvilleas havent wasted their time.

Here 9a/9b Hummers don't bother with bouganvillas, I have 4 hUGE plants, different colors, and have never seen a hummer on them. But maybe it's because I have other favorite blooming shrubs that they love.