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Put the feeder out about two weeks before the first hummingbirds normally arrive in your area, and leave it up for two to three weeks after you last see one. Leaving a feeder up does not delay migration — that is triggered by day length, not food. What it does is help late migrants and stragglers, which is the opposite of harmful.
Two questions, and the second one carries a persistent myth that is worth dealing with properly, because a lot of people take feeders down in September out of a misplaced sense of duty.
The rules
- Out: about two weeks before typical first arrival for your region
- Down: two to three weeks after the last bird you see
- Feeders do not delay migration. Day length does the triggering
- A late bird is not a trapped bird. It is a straggler that needs fuel
- Pacific coast: Anna’s Hummingbirds increasingly stay year-round
When to put it out
Roughly two weeks before first arrivals. An early feeder costs you a couple of nectar changes; a late one means birds pass through and find nothing.
| Region | Typical first arrivals | Put feeder out |
|---|---|---|
| Gulf Coast, South Texas, Florida | Late February – early March | Mid-February |
| Southeast (GA, SC, AL) | Mid to late March | Early March |
| Mid-Atlantic, Tennessee Valley | Early to mid April | Late March |
| Midwest, Ohio Valley | Late April – early May | Mid April |
| Northeast, Great Lakes | Early to mid May | Late April |
| Northern Plains, northern New England | Mid May | Early May |
| Southwest | February – March, varies by species | Early February |
| Pacific Northwest | March (Rufous), Anna’s year-round | Late February |
| Coastal California | Anna’s resident year-round | Keep it up |
These are typical, not fixed. Timing shifts by a couple of weeks year to year with weather, and by elevation. For your actual location, eBird shows what has been reported near you in real time, and the annual hummingbird migration maps published each spring track first sightings as they move north.
The migration myth
Leaving a hummingbird feeder up in fall does not stop birds migrating. Migration in hummingbirds is triggered primarily by changing day length, an internal seasonal clock that food availability does not override. A Ruby-throated Hummingbird in Pennsylvania in October leaves because the light has changed, not because the sugar water ran out.
This is well established and Cornell Lab states it plainly. It is worth repeating because the opposite belief is widespread and leads people to remove feeders exactly when late migrants most need them.
What a late feeder actually does is provide fuel for stragglers — young birds on a first migration, birds delayed by weather, or individuals recovering condition before a long flight. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico make a flight of several hundred miles nonstop. A feeder on the way is genuinely useful.
There is a second version of this worth mentioning: an occasional very late bird is sometimes a western species that has wandered east, which is why birders in the East are encouraged to leave a feeder up into late fall and report anything unusual.
When to take it down
Two to three weeks after your last sighting. If nothing has visited in three weeks and you are outside the areas where birds overwinter, it is reasonable to bring it in.
| Region | Typical last sightings | Take down around |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Plains, northern New England | Mid to late September | Mid October |
| Great Lakes, Midwest | Late September – early October | Late October |
| Mid-Atlantic | Early to mid October | Early November |
| Southeast | Late October | Mid November |
| Gulf Coast, Florida | Some birds overwinter | Consider leaving it up |
| Southwest | Varies; some species resident | Check locally |
| Pacific coast | Anna’s resident year-round | Leave it up |
Overwintering birds
Two situations where the feeder stays up.
Pacific coast. Anna’s Hummingbird has expanded its range substantially north over recent decades and is now a year-round resident along much of the coast, including through winter. Feeders there are a year-round commitment, with freezing as the practical problem — nectar freezes around 27°F. Rotating two feeders so one thaws indoors is the simplest answer.
Gulf Coast and Southeast. Individual hummingbirds, sometimes western species that have wandered, overwinter in small numbers. If one appears at your feeder in December, leaving it up is the right call, and a local Audubon chapter or state bird records committee will often be interested to hear about it.
If you are running feeders across a long season, a second one is worth more than a bigger one — it defuses territorial behavior and gives you a spare while the first is being cleaned. The drawback is simply doubling the cleaning, which in hot weather is not nothing.
Common questions
Will leaving my feeder up stop hummingbirds migrating?
No. Migration is triggered mainly by day length. Leaving a feeder up helps late migrants refuel and does not hold anyone back.
When should I put my hummingbird feeder out?
About two weeks before hummingbirds typically arrive in your region — mid-February on the Gulf Coast, late April in the Northeast. eBird will show you what has actually been reported nearby.
How long after the last hummingbird should I leave it up?
Two to three weeks. Late migrants pass through well after resident birds have gone, and a feeder on their route is genuinely useful.
I still have a hummingbird in November. Is something wrong?
Not necessarily. Late birds are often young birds on a first migration, or in the East occasionally a western species that has wandered. Leave the feeder up and consider reporting it — local birders are usually interested.
Do hummingbirds come back to the same feeder each year?
Frequently, yes. Hummingbirds show strong site fidelity and banding studies record individuals returning to the same yards across years. Which is a good argument for having the feeder out before they arrive.
What do I do if the nectar freezes?
Rotate two feeders so one is always thawing indoors, wrap the reservoir, or use a purpose-made heated feeder. Nectar freezes at around 27°F. This is mainly a Pacific coast question, where Anna’s Hummingbirds winter.
Related guides
- How to attract hummingbirds
- Hummingbird nectar recipe
- Best hummingbird feeders
- Why hummingbirds aren’t coming
Sources: Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds hummingbird species accounts and migration guidance; eBird abundance and arrival data; Project FeederWatch; National Audubon Society hummingbird migration resources; US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Setting up for hummingbirds?
A saucer feeder that dismantles fully is easier to keep clean than a larger bottle feeder, and cleaning matters far more than capacity. Look for no yellow parts, which draw wasps.
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