One of the more common questions we see as Spring is approaching is “when do I put out my hummingbird feeder?” However, because of migratory patterns of the 17 different species of hummingbirds found in North America, the answer varies from state to state. We’ve compiled a list of all 50 U.S. states below telling you when to put out hummingbird feeders for each state along with some helpful info about the hummingbirds specific to each state.
While I don’t know first hand for every single state, I have researched numerous articles and reports, read countless forum posts from real residents, and looked at so many migration maps until my eyes hurt. This allowed me to get some pretty darn accurate date ranges for when to put out hummingbird feeders, in each state in our country.
These dates are just estimates, no one can say for sure when those first hummingbirds will show up from year to year. However, based on historical data we can make a pretty good guess when to put your hummingbird feeders out.
*Learn how to attract hummingbirds to your yard with these tips
Many of these states are going to have similar or identical dates that I’ll recommend you put out your feeders, due to similar weather patterns, geographic location and migration routes. However there are plenty of regional differences, and this list will make a great reference for many people (including myself).
As a general rule, hummingbirds prefer warmer weather so March – May is going to be a good time to put your feeders out for most states. You can also refer to our article when to take hummingbird feeders down to find out when hummingbirds leave your state in the fall.
With coastal and southern states like Florida, parts of Texas, or states like Nevada where Anna’s hummingbirds stay year round, you may consider leaving them out all year.
Having said that, let’s see if we can get a bit more specific on a state by state basis. Check out the handy table below if you’re in a hurry, but be sure and scroll down to your state if you want to know a little bit more about hummingbird migration times for where you live!
Here are estimated migrating hummingbird arrival times for each U.S. state meant to give you an idea of when to put out your hummingbird feeders each year. Date ranges are estimated based on research done for each state, hummingbirds may arrive slightly earlier or later than date ranges shown.
*Scroll past the table or click on your state for some more details about your local hummingbirds.
| State | When to put out feeders |
|---|---|
| Alabama | late March/early April |
| Alaska | late April/early May |
| Arizona | early-mid April or year-round |
| Arkansas | late March/early April |
| California | mid March/early April or year-round |
| Colorado | mid April |
| Connecticut | late April/early May |
| Delaware | late March/early April |
| Florida | early-mid March |
| Georgia | late February/early March |
| Hawaii | no hummingbirds/banned by state law |
| Idaho | early-mid April |
| Illinois | late April/early May |
| Indiana | late April/early May |
| Iowa | late April/early May |
| Kansas | mid-late April |
| Kentucky | early-mid April |
| Louisiana | mid March/early April |
| Maine | early May |
| Maryland | late April/early May |
| Massachusetts | late April/early May |
| Michigan | mid April/early May |
| Minnesota | early May |
| Mississippi | mid March/early April |
| Missouri | early-mid April |
| Montana | late April/mid May |
| Nebraska | mid May |
| Nevada | early April or year-round |
| New Hampshire | early May |
| New Jersey | late April/early May |
| New Mexico | late March/early April |
| New York | late April/early May |
| North Carolina | late March/early April |
| North Dakota | rare/mid May |
| Ohio | mid-late April |
| Oklahoma | mid April |
| Oregon | late February/early March |
| Pennsylvania | early-mid April |
| Rhode Island | late April/early May |
| South Carolina | mid March or year-round |
| South Dakota | rare/mid May |
| Tennessee | early-mid April |
| Texas | mid March/early April |
| Utah | late April/early May |
| Vermont | early May |
| Virginia | mid April |
| Washington | late February/early March |
| West Virginia | mid April |
| Wisconsin | late April/early May |
| Wyoming | mid May |
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Alabama – About 9 different species of hummingbirds can be found in Alabama. You can find Alabama hummingbirds beginning to approach feeders in late March to early April, making that a good time to put out your feeders.
Alaska – One species of hummingbird can be regularly found in parts of southeast and Southcentral Alaska, the Rufous Hummingbird. There are 4 species that have been reported in the state though. The Rufous is also the most widely distributed hummingbird in North America.
However Anna’s and Costa’s Hummingbirds are casual migrants to parts of Alaska. The male Rufous arrives in Alaska in late April to early May with the females arriving a couple of weeks later making this a good time to put out your feeders.
Arizona – As many as 17 species of hummingbirds can be found in Arizona or passing through the state each year. Due to the warm climate, some species such as Anna’s hummingbird may reside in parts of Arizona year round.
Because of this, you can leave out your feeders all year as long as they are still using your feeders, but the majority of species found here will migrate into the state in April or May making any time in these months the perfect time to put out your feeders.
Arkansas – There are about 7 species of hummingbirds that can be found in Arkansas during the warmer weather, mid to late March or early April is a good time to put out your feeders. Just keep an eye on the temperature and don’t put them out if it’s still too cold.
California – Because of the warmer climate in parts of the state, as many as 13 different species of hummingbirds have been reported in California.
Being a coastal state, many of these species will hang around the whole year, especially in Southern California. However if you don’t want to keep your feeders out year round then mid March to early April is the ideal time to put your feeders back out in most of the state.
Colorado – Just 4 species of hummingbirds can be commonly found in Colorado, the most common of which is the Broad-Tailed Hummingbird. In Colorado, you can put your feeders up in mid April and leave them up until about mid October.
Connecticut – There are a few different species of hummingbird that make their way through the small state of Connecticut each year, but the Ruby-throated is the native species.
Go ahead and put your feeders out in this area of the country in late April to early May. One of our writers for this site puts hers out in CT the first week of May and sees some right around that time.
Delaware – While there are 5 or so recorded hummingbirds in Delaware, the Ruby-throated is the regular visitor. Usually mid to late April is when hummers start showing up around here, but some people report seeing them as early as late March so put your feeders out at your discretion based on the temperature and weather.
Florida– Florida is different from other states in that different parts of Florida will have completely different times to put out your hummingbird feeders.
The panhandle will see very few hummers through the summer months but along with areas of south Florida will have much more activity in the winter months.
While other areas of central and north central Florida will have hummingbirds active from early March (sometimes February) through September. Among the many species that can be found in Florida, the ruby-throated is still the most common.
Georgia – According to this website that focuses on the study of Georgia hummingbirds, a dozen different species have been recorded in the state up to now. Like Florida though, Georgia has winter and summer hummers as well as some that stay all year.
So most areas of Georgia have some species active at all times of the year. Ruby-throated, the native breeders to the state, arrive in late February and early March so have your feeders out then.
Hawaii – There are no hummingbirds in Hawaii. Additionally they are banned by state law. Why you might ask? Because of the pineapple industry in Hawaii. The hummingbirds would pollinate the pineapple flowers causing the fruit to have seeds which is considered undesirable.
Idaho – At least six species of hummingbirds have been reported in Idaho. You can hang your feeders here starting in early to mid April. Although rare, it’s not unheard of for Anna’s hummingbirds to stick around through the winter in some parts of the state.
Illinois – With as many as 5 species of hummingbirds that have been noted in Illinois, it is the ruby-throated hummers that make up a large portion of the hummingbirds in the state. They tend to show up in parts of the state in early May making mid to late April a great time to go ahead and put feeders out.
Indiana – As with other states in this region, mid to late April is a great time to put out the feeders because this is around when the ruby-throated hummers migrate into the area.
There are 2 regular species of hummers known to frequent Indiana; ruby-throated and of course the rufous hummingbirds that seem to be everywhere. There are a couple of other species that make an appearance from time to time such as Anna’s, but for the most part the ruby and rufous are what to expect.
Iowa – Ruby-throated hummingbirds are really the only regulars to the state of Iowa, however a few other species have been reported as making rare appearances in the state such as the well travelled rufous hummingbird which usually does not migrate as far east as Iowa. Put your feeders out in Iowa in late April to early May.
Kansas – As with Iowa, ruby-throated are by far the most commonly seen hummers in Kansas. In fact, ruby-throated hummingbirds account for as much as 99% of the hummingbird sightings in the eastern half of the United States. Consider putting your feeders out in Kansas as early as mid April.
Kentucky – As with most states, the ruby-throated is the most common here, but Kentucky has other visitors sometimes like the rufous and black-chinned.
The Ruby-throated hummers begin arriving in the state of Kentucky in early to mid April most years but occasionally you can see some early arrivals as early as late March. Based on that info, early to mid April is a good time to put out your feeders here.
Louisiana – At least nine different species of hummingbirds have been reported in Louisiana. Most though are just vagrants/passing through aside from the Ruby-throated which usually make their way into the state as early as mid to late March with the majority in early to mid April, making sometime in this date range the best time to put out feeders.
Maine – The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird species that regularly makes it up to Maine. Sometimes a vagrant rufous will visit as well. Put your feeders out in early May for most of New England.
Maryland – Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the main one found here, although Maryland can occasionally have visits from other wandering species. Early May or even sometimes late April is when they start showing up making it the best time to start hanging feeders.
Massachusetts – Again just echoing the other New England states but hummingbird feeders can be put out in Massachusetts in late April or early May as that’s when both the ruby-throated (most common) and the rufous hummingbirds migrate back to the area.
Michigan – The ruby-throated is the only species that calls Michigan home for some months out of the year. Other species such as the rufous may pass through Michigan and be seen occasionally.
You can put your hummingbird feeders out in mid April to early May since this is when the ruby-throated hummers begin to show back up each spring.
Minnesota – The male ruby-throated hummingbirds, which arrive in Minnesota a couple of weeks before the females, will first start showing up the first week of May making this the best time to put out your feeders. They will start their migration back south towards the end of September.
Mississippi – At least 9 different species have been reported in Mississippi, but the ruby-throated is the only species known to breed east of the Mississippi River and by far the most common in the state. They start to arrive in Mississippi in mid March to mid April so anytime in this range is a good time to put out your feeders. This article goes a bit more in-depth about Mississippi hummingbirds.
Missouri – As the only native breeding hummingbird species in the state, the Ruby-throated hummers start arriving in the state to nest in early April with their peak season being in mid to late May. This makes anytime after early April a good time to put out your hummingbird feeders in Missouri.
Montana – We have 4 native breeding hummingbirds in Montana, but as many as 7 species are occasionally seen in the state. Ruby-throated have been reported in Montana, but they are quite rare. The native breeders to the state are the Black-chinned, Anna’s, Rufous, and Calliope hummingbirds. For the most part they all start arriving as early as late April into mid May, also when you should put out your feeders.
Nebraska – Ruby-throated can be seen in the eastern half of the state only and will breed along the very eastern edge of the state along the Missouri River.
In the western part of the state rufous hummingbirds can be seen in the fall only, but are not as common. If you’re in the eastern part of the state, put your feeders out in mid May as that’s when the ruby-throated are arriving. Check out all the Nebraska hummingbirds here.
Nevada – Nevada has 7 species of hummingbirds that have been reported in the state, a few of which are native breeders. Anna’s, costa’s, black-chinned, calliope, and broad-tailed hummingbirds can all be found here. Rufous hummingbirds are seasonal migrants and can regularly be seen in the state from March to May.
Since Anna’s hummingbirds stick around all year, you can leave your feeders out all year long in Nevada. The black-chinned start arriving in April and the calliopes start arriving in mid May.
New Hampshire – Ruby-throated is the only breeding species found in New Hampshire. They arrive the first week of May. The rufous and calliope hummingbirds are considered rare/non-breeding in New Hampshire but are sighted very occasionally. As with the rest of New England, the first week of May is usually the best time to put out your feeders.
New Jersey – As with New Hampshire, ruby-throated and less common rufous are the two most sighted hummers in New Jersey. They will start arriving in late April and early May and will start leaving in late September to early October. We recommend you put your hummingbird feeders out in New Jersey in late April or early May each year.
New Mexico – New Mexico has a large variety of hummingbirds each year, as many as 16 different species to be exact. Most of which are just passing through on their migration trail, but a few species stick around to breed like the Blue-throated hummingbirds.
Hummingbirds can be seen all over the state of New Mexico, especially in the summer and in the southern parts of the state. Migrating hummingbirds pass through during the spring migration starting in late March to early April making this the best time to put out your feeders.
New York – Ruby-throated hummers are native to and breed in New York state each year. They are by far the most common of the few species you may see in New York. They will begin to show up in early May, usually the first week. You can put your feeders out then or even the last week of April if you want to catch some early arrivals in the spring.
North Carolina – The ruby-throated hummingbirds start showing up in North Carolina in late March or early April, they are also the only breeding species in the state.
While most ruby-throats do fly south around late September, it’s not a bad idea to leave feeders up during the winter if you want, some may stick around for the winter. You may also see an occasional rufous hummingbird during the colder months.
North Dakota – Hummingbirds are not terribly common in North Dakota, but they aren’t totally absent either. The common species that you might see here is the ruby-throated during early spring and late summer migration times and only in the eastern half of the state. You may not have any luck seeing them at feeders but if you want to put one out, I’d say sometime in May or September will be your best shot.
Ohio – By mid to late April ruby-throated hummers have started migrating into Ohio, making this the perfect time to put out your feeders. Very rarely a rufous or calliope are also among the possible species to see in Ohio.
Oklahoma – There are two nesting species of hummingbirds in Oklahoma, black-chinned and ruby-throated. Rufous hummingbirds migrate through the state in the spring and fall. Place your hummingbird feeders out in Oklahoma right around mid April and leave them out until late October.
Oregon – According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, at least 7 species of hummingbirds visit Oregon at various times of the year with rufous and Allen’s being the most common.
Consider putting your hummingbird feeders out in late February to early March in Oregon. However, if you live in western Oregon you may want to consider leaving your feeders out all year as Anna’s hummingbirds are year round residents in this part of the state.
Pennsylvania – Ruby-throated are native breeders in Pennsylvania and rufous are occasional visitors to the state. Reports of ruby-throated usually start coming in as early as late March but early to mid April is a better estimate of when the males will start arriving. You can put your feeders out in late March if you want to catch some early arrivals but mid April is probably the best time.
Rhode Island – Hang your feeders in late April or the first week of May in Rhode Island as that’s about when both the ruby-throated and some rufous hummingbirds will start migrating back into the state for the season.
South Carolina – We suggest you put your hummingbird feeders back out in mid March each year since this is about the time that the ruby-throated hummers start showing back.
However, according to one source, you may get activity all year if you leave them out through the colder months as well. South Carolina also has occasional vagrant species throughout the year that may get spotted at feeders.
South Dakota – Hummingbirds are somewhat rare in South Dakota with the ruby-throated being the most likely to visit a backyard feeder, although there are others in pockets of the state.
Ruby’s are only seen in the eastern half of the state and will arrive sometime in May for the breeding season, so put your feeders out then. There have been as many as 6 species reported in South Dakota.
Tennessee – The earliest spring hummingbirds will usually start to show up in late March or early April in Tennessee. You’re probably more likely to start seeing them in numbers around early to mid April so any time around these date ranges is best to put out your feeders in Tennessee.
Ruby-throated are the most common in Tennessee with rufous being occasional visitors in some areas of the state. Our first ruby-throated hummingbird arrived this year (2022) on April 6th.
Texas – Texas is a very large state and is in the south-central part of the country putting the state right in a big migration path. Because of that, as many as 17 different species of hummingbirds can be found in the state each year.
A few of these are buff-bellied, broad-billed, blue-throated, magnificent, ruby-throated, rufous, and black-chinned hummingbirds. Anytime in mid March into early April is a great time to put out hummingbird feeders in Texas.
Utah – A few common species of hummers found in Utah are rufous, black-chinned, costa’s, and broad-billed. Put your feeders out in late April or early May in Utah as this is when migrating hummingbirds will start arriving.
Vermont – Two species of hummingbirds have been reported in Vermont, rufous and more commonly ruby-throated. Since Vermont is in New England, the first week of May is the best time of year to put out your hummingbird feeders.
Virginia – Ruby-throated hummingbirds start arriving in Virginia in mid April, so go ahead and put your feeders out then. Rufous hummingbirds are also somewhat common in Virginia and can be seen around the same time as the ruby’s each year.
Washington – While the best time to see hummingbirds in Washington state is in late summer, especially August, they start arriving in the state much earlier. The rufous hummingbirds will start showing up as soon as late February and early March.
Anna’s hummingbirds reside in the state year round although they tend to stay to the western part of the state during the winter. So if you choose to bring the feeders in for the winter, you should put them back out in early March as this is when the majority will start arriving in the state.
West Virginia – While there have been reports of some vagrants passing through the state in the past, Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only natives to West Virginia. They begin arriving in the state near mid April so put your feeders out then.
Wisconsin – Ruby-throated are the only natives to Wisconsin and usually start showing up the first week of May, with some early arrivals in late April. Put your feeders out in this date range.
Wyoming – A few different species make their way to Wyoming each year, scattered in different areas but mainly the mountainous west. They will begin arriving in early to mid May each year so have your feeders out by then.
If you have found your state and are ready to put your feeders out but aren’t sure about making nectar, we wrote an article for a quick DIY hummingbird nectar. Here’s another article about how often to clean hummingbird feeders you might want to check out.
These 5 hummingbird feeders will help you attract as many hummers as possible this year
Other content you may enjoy:
- 5 DIY hummingbird bath ideas
- When to stop feeding hummingbirds in each state
- Male vs female ruby-throated hummingbirds
- Hummingbirds in North America
Jesse has been feeding birds in his backyard and bird watching across the country for years. He loves learning about the different species and sharing his knowledge and experiences on this website.
What is considered too cold to put out a hummingbird feeder in Arkansas?
I wouldn’t worry much about what the actual temperature is day-to-day. They can actually deal with pretty cool temps just fine. Hummingbirds travel based on season. They should be showing up in Arkansas right now! If you don’t have your feeder out yet I would say go ahead and put it out, you should see them soon. They will head out of your state somewhere between late September – middle October, but can sometimes stay as late as November.
These little guys are amazing. I live in New Jersey and I believe I have the same male return every year. He flies by my kitchen window where I fill the feeder when it’s time to change the feeder water. He sits in the tree while I gather up the feeders. And I believe he has me trained. I forgot to fill up the feeder one time, and while I was out in the garden he started buzzing me to remind me of what my job was.He arrives every April 15 like clockwork, and leaves by October 15. I’m sad to see him go but happy when April comes again. Last year, when he was ready to fly south I went to the feeder to refill it mid October because I knew he was still around, and he circled my head several times- not in a menacing way. I still had the feeder in my hands and he sat on it to drink. He hovered in front of my face as if to say thank you before he left. It was the last I saw of him that year
Hey June! Even though they all look very similar it’s quite possible that you have the same hummers returning to your feeders each year, they have fantastic memories! However if he shows up on April 15th one year like you said and your feeders aren’t out, he may move along never to be seen again. Good on you for always being prepared!
I live in Texas and it’s mid-May. I just put my feeders out. Am I too late?
Nope definitely not too late! You don’t have to put the feeder out before they arrive, it’s just one tactic people use to attract them sooner, or something they like to do so that the hummers have food available as soon as they need it. But you can put out a hummingbird feeder anytime during the spring and summer and will likely get visitors. They are always out scouting for food so they will find you eventually!
I live in the southern part of New Hampshire. I was told a couple days ago that it is illegal to feed hummingbirds in New Hampshire and that if I don’t take my hummingbird feeder down that I would be reported and could pay a fine. Can someone help me get information on this matter. It would be highly appreciated.
Thank you so much in advance.
Rosie
Hey Rosie, we aren’t professionals so don’t take our advice over that of a professional or a law enforcement agency. Having said that, that sounds ridiculous and I haven’t heard of anything like that before. Is the person that told you that qualified to tell you to take your feeders down? I would call the local Wildlife Resources Agency for your state and ask them directly but I’m guessing you were given bad info. I’m curious to know what they say!
Hi, I am in NYC and its the end of August right now. Last week I saw a hummingbird in the backyard. Is it too late to put out a hummingbird feeder? Thanks for any info.
Hi Richard – I would say up where you are you might have about three weeks left of hummingbird activity. But if you want to take a shot you might get some takers since they will be fueling up right about now for their trip down south. In my experience in your neighbor state of CT, they are gone by the end of September.
When do you take them down in TX?
The general rule of thumb is to leave feeders up for about 3 weeks after you see your last hummingbird, which will likely be sometime between late September to end of October.
I’ve been told to take my feeder down at the end of October to encourage the hummingbird to migrate before it gets too cold. I’d rather leave the feeder up for any that decide to winter in South Carolina. What do you think.
I wouldn’t worry about that. There are forces much larger going on for the hummingbirds instincts to migrate and I don’t believe leaving your feeder out would change their mind. You might like this article we did about helping hummingbirds in the winter, for those that do choose to stick around.