When is the BEST time to take down your hummingbird feeders?

ByScott
76 Comments

As the end of summer arrives, hummingbirds are getting ready to start their migration back south.

when to take down hummingbird feeder

Crazy, right? It feels like they just got here. Honestly, I hate knowing I won’t get to see hummingbirds for a while!

​At this time of year, one of the most commonly asked questions I get asked is:

“When should I take down my hummingbird feeders?”

​As much as I wish I could give you a specific date, the best time to put your nectar feeders away varies from year to year. And the timing is also different depending on where you live!

Personally, here is my rule of thumb:

I leave my feeders up until I haven’t seen a hummingbird for at least TWO weeks.

Here’s the reasoning behind my rationale:

Leaving your nectar feeders up for a few weeks after you see the LAST hummer ensures that any birds that migrate through your area later on still have access to your precious sugar water.

For example, even though the birds near you start their migration on September 20th, there could be hummingbirds moving through your location weeks later that have come from farther north.

whento take hummingbird feeders down

Hummingbirds expend A LOT of energy during migration, so you don’t want to take down your feeders too early. Trust me; it’s better to keep them up a bit too long than take them down too early.

Personally, I live in Ohio. It seems that I normally see my last Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the middle of September. So that means I am usually taking my feeders down around the beginning of October. As you go farther south, these dates will be later and later. As you go farther north, these dates will be earlier and earlier.​

But what happens if you aren’t around all day to watch your hummingbird feeders?

For example, you may be thinking that you work during daylight hours and have no idea if a hummingbird may have visited.

Luckily, I have a unique solution for you!

You can use EBIRD to check to track the southward migration of hummingbirds and to see if anyone has been seeing them in your area. You can use this data to determine when it’s time to take your nectar feeders down.

If you want to learn how to use eBird to do this, please watch the video below!

YouTube video

Does leaving my feeders up prevent hummingbirds from migrating?

The short answer to this question is NO! This is a myth!

PLEASE don’t worry that leaving up your nectar feeders is preventing hummingbirds from leaving to fly south. A hummingbird’s instinct will take over and make them travel south, which is why I recommend that you leave your feeders out until you haven’t seen any birds for a few weeks.

Do the hummingbirds near me migrate?

when to take hummingbird feeders down

So for most of us that live in the United States and Canada, the hummingbirds we see during summer migrate south for the winter.

But some of you are extremely lucky and have hummingbirds that live near you ALL YEAR LONG!

In general, if you live in California, southern Texas, Oregon, Washington, southern British Columbia, Arizona, or New Mexico, then you probably don’t have to take your hummingbird feeders down at all. You have hummingbirds that never leave. 🙂

For more information about the types of hummingbirds that live near you, check out the article below.

When do you take down your hummingbird feeders?

Please leave a comment below.

I’d love to know WHERE you live and WHEN you normally see your last hummingbirds migrating.

Thanks for reading. 🙂

Scott is the creator of Bird Watching HQ. His goal is to inspire you to care more about the birds and wildlife in YOUR backyard. Over the past 5 years, he has been focused on improving the habitat in his own yard by doing things like adding native plants, not using pesticides, etc. He is happy to report that over 50 species of birds have now been seen on his 1.5-acre property (that's in a suburban neighborhood). Learn more about Scott on his About page. And make sure to check out his LIVE bird cameras.

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76 Comments

  1. Hi Scott,

    I’m in Lake County, OH. Haven’t seen a hummer for 2days now. Thanks for the link to ebird. I’ll take your advice and keep a feeder up until October. I sure miss them when they leave.

    Reply

  2. Hi Scott,

    We are in Louisiana and for two days before the Hurricane we had tons of Hummers midday, today we have not seen any and took our feeders down so they aren’t destroyed by wind but left one in a safe enough area in the event someone needed to feed. Tomorrow I will restore the feeders.

    Reply

  3. I took down my hummingbird feeder when I realized I was only feeding wasps. I’ve never seen wasps at the feeder when the hummingbirds are around. Wondering if others have noticed this. Do hummingbirds keep the wasps away from the feeders they frequent?(I’m in central Alberta)

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  4. Last year I saw my last hummingbird on September 23. I live 45 miles Northeast of Atlanta GA. It’s already been one week since I last saw a hummer this season. I only have three to five regulars each year. I live on five acres surrounded by around 80 acres of mostly pasture. I offer a feeder and several nectar producing flowers. I used to have several feeders, but with so few birds, I was pouring the sugar water out and cleaning them out every third day due to the heat! Having only one feeder seemed to work just as well since they would empty it in a day or two and I only had to clean and replinish one feeder without any waste.

    Reply

  6. Bonjour, we live in Gatineau Quebec CANADA and we usually see the last of our little hummers around September 10th . We miss them so much when they leave. 🙂

    Reply

    1. I live in Southeastern CT and have faithless maintained my 3 hummingbird feeders. Over the last two weeks the bees have taken over not allowing the hummers to feed. What can I do to ward them off the feeders? Any suggestions?

      Reply

  8. I tried something new this year by adding a few strands of Saffron to my sugar water nectar. The Hummingbirds seem to LOVE it!
    The birds are hovering outside all my windows and even come hover near me when I go outside to work on the yard. Freaked me out at first; I thought it was a large bee or wasp. I am deathly allergic to wasp venom!
    Just a couple of green hummingbirds though.. How nice!

    Reply

  9. I usually see hummingbirds through end of December (23rd last year). I live in Cherokee County Georgia. I see them again end of March.

    Reply

  10. My hummingbirds are slowing down here in central Ohio, but I still have about three that keep coming back. I normally leave mine up until late October in case of a lost Rufous that may pass through.

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  11. Thanks for the advice. I live in Central Alberta. I hadn’t seen a hummingbird since late August, but I filled my feeder, and saw one about 5 days ago (Sept 5). Even if the hummingbirds don’t use it, the downy woodpeckers have discovered it. They hang upside down from the branch above and sip on the water.

    Reply

  12. Hi Scott, I’m located SW Iowa. I took your advice last year and left my feeders out beyond what I ever had in the past. Right now it is 10 September and all my feeders have been extremely active. I’m refilling them every couple of days. Last year, I was still sighting hummers in late September. I recorded my last hummer sighting on 04 October last year. I even got to see a migrating Rufous Hummingbird at a feeder outside my home office window! So exciting to see a rare hummer in this part of the country!

    Reply

  13. Humming birds head south when their natural food sources start to wither and die in the fall. So, doesn’t it make sense that the birds in the more northern regions would start migrating earlier than those further south. It doesn’t seem that there should be stragglers from the colder regions. Is there an increase in humming bird sightings as the migration time arrives?

    Reply

  14. I have a ledger keeping track of when my birds arrive and when they leave, I have kept it for 27 years and I have found that they arrive and leave
    within the same two week. I live in the northwestern lower peninsula of Michigan. I find it really helpful.

    Reply

  15. We are now already september 10th 2024 and as every year I feel sad that my little friends will leave soon for their long migration to the the south 😥 I have seen a few coming to my feeder early in the morning and around supper time for a fast sip; I know that time is near and I still put up my feeder until the begining of october to help them to get all the energy they need for their long journey. Every year I miss them very much until their return in the next season as they bring much joy ❤️
    St-Justin QC Canada

    Reply

  16. I’m in South Florida so I do the exact opposite – feeders going up probably this weekend. Can’t wait to see my little friends again. The hummingbirds that frequent my yard are the most social I have seen. Thanks for your articles. They are very enjoyable.

    Reply

  17. Hummingbirds are still at the feeders here near Toronto, Canada as of Sept. 20th 2023!

    Might need to leave your feeders out later this year? My guys will be hungry after heading south 🙂

    Reply

  18. Hi Scott, I’m from Huntersville NC which is a little north of Charlotte. I’m originally from Cleveland Ohio but never had hummingbird feeders until I moved to the south! I leave my feeders up until mid to late October. The hummingbirds have been drinking up a storm! They usually leave here in early October and return in early May. Love reading your articles!
    Thanks, Janie

    Reply

  19. Scott I really enjoy your articles and have learned so much! I live in central NC, I usually leave my feeder up until the mid to end of October just to be on the safe side. Always exciting to see them come and sad to see them go…

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  20. Our Annes Hummingbirds do not migrate they are here year round. Keep mine feeders up year round. Only take them in at night when the temp drops below 25F. I live in Salem Oregon

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  21. I’m in Keene , NH (southeast corner of the state). I am seeing less hummingbirds this really hot week of early Sept. I plan to keep watching and I won’t remove the feeders until at least end Sept.

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  22. It’s been a strange year. When we first returned to Port Clinton in May, there were 3 red headed woodpeckers here; the most beautiful birds I’ve ever seen. Since we were going on a camping trip the next week, I elected not to put my feeders up. When I returned the red heads were gone. Feeders were put up to get ready for the orioles, etc. Kept waiting for the hummers, that usually showed mid May. Two travelers until end of June. And no consistency then. Bees were terrible this year, neighbor even took her jelly and hummer feeders down because of the bees! I’ll never understand why the green herons leave when the years hatch can’t even fly up to the nest. Then one day I saw a big bird shadow on me curtains and looked out. A juvenile bald eagle had landed on our dock. I watched about an hour. It walked back and forth; currection, hopped, its claws were too long to walk! Always looking around. Then jumped in the water! It flapped its wings as if to fly away. Couldn’t, maybe too wet? Used its wings and legs to “swim” to the rocks and walked up. It had a fish in its claws. Watched it eat. Then flew across the road and that channel. It was neat. So the green herons and orioles and finally the red wing black birds are gone. I can fill my safflower feeder and the cardinals actually get some! Still have grackles, blue jays, and cardinals to eat the peanuts. Still have the jelly up for the bees=less bees on hummer feeders. 2 more months till N.C.

    Reply

  23. I take down my feeders late October to early November depending on when I last saw Hummers at my feeders. I live in Atlanta, GA

    Reply