When to Put Out Hummingbird Feeders Complete A-Z Guide

Feeders are particular devices to provide Hummingbirds with a continuous supply of food. These Feeders contain the nectar as a food source for the Hummingbirds. The fresh nectar is like a treat for hummingbirds. Whenever you want to feed the birds, the timing is essential. You need to put out your feeder on a specific time to provide the fresh nectar to Hummingbirds. This timing depends on different factors in different areas. You can take a special eye on your areas to find out the perfect timing according to your area. You don’t want to waste your nectar before the ideal timing so you can concentrate on the below factors.

When to Put Out Hummingbird Feeders
When to Put Out Hummingbird Feeders

Factors affecting the timing of Hummingbird Feeders

Hummingbirds are usually migratory and travel the different areas on different timings. Depending upon the season, the hummingbirds visit the different areas. You don’t need to waste your nectar when the hummingbirds are not around you. There are some essential factors you should keep in your mind while feeding the hummingbirds.

1.Location

There are some particular areas which are the home of hungry hummingbirds; you can put out your feeders any time in those areas. These areas include the southern and coastal regions of the United States and Mexico. Moreover, the many Caribbean and South American regions are also included in the more hummingbird hungry areas. For other areas, you can put out the feeders depending upon the season and the local population of these areas.

2. Climate

In spring, the hummingbirds are more attracted to the mild climate and warmer areas. In these areas, you can start the feeders in early spring. Moreover, In the colder area, you can put out your feeders in the late spring season. The climate of any region depends upon its geographical location and elevation. So you can find the best time for your area by concentrating on the location and height of your area.

3. Migration

You can also learn about the Hummingbird migration routes in different areas, which can help you to find out the best time for your area. During the migration, hummingbirds need fresh nectar to maintain their energy level. For the early migrants, when the flowers are not bloomed, the fresh nectar is a perfect source of food. So these feeders can help them the first migrants to complete their successful migration.

Months to start feeding the Hummingbirds

The exact dates can vary in different areas, as we discussed above. But we can divide the different areas for different months where hummingbirds are found generally in these months. But in some areas, the hummingbirds found throughout the year. Let’s first discuss the areas where the hummingbirds found throughout the year.

1. Year-Round Feeding

In some areas, the hummingbirds are non-migratory, and they need the feeders all the year to maintain their energy level. Sometimes the overwintering hummingbirds also join the residents during the winter, so you need to put more feeders during the winter season. These areas include the pacific coast of the United States and southern British Columbia, the Rio Grande Valley area of south Texas, and along the coast of south Texas. Moreover, the south and central Florida and southeastern Arizona are also included in these areas. In the Caribbean and Central and South American regions, you need to put the feeders throughout the year.

2. February/March

During the February and March, the hummingbirds migrate in the deep areas of Southern United States. You need to put out the feeders in these areas as early as possible during February and March. These areas include northern Florida and southern Georgia. The first migrants will appear in these areas.

3. March/April

The early migrants found in the southern United States during the February and March are appearing in the central United States during the March and early April. These early migrants mostly include the Ruby-throated hummingbirds and rufous hummingbirds.

4. April/May

In late April and early March, the hummingbirds were found in northern areas. These migrants cover a lot of distance from the start of their journey. These migrants need clean and fresh filled feeders to maintain their energy level. You should put out the feeders in these areas during the first ten days of May for these thirsty hummingbirds.

5. May /June

In May and April, the migrants reach the furthest northern areas. In these areas, the hummingbirds don’t arrive until the late spring or early summer. These areas include the central Canadian range and Alaskan territory. In the central Canadian range, mostly calliope hummingbirds are found and rufous hummingbirds in the Alaska territory. But the birders don’t get late to put out their feeders; they can put out their feeders on first arrivals.

Tips to Find Exact Timing of hummingbird arrival in your area:

You can follow the following process to find out the exact timing of hummingbirds arrival in your area.

  • You can find local birds watching club near you, and ask them about the hummingbird’s arrival dates.
  • You can also ask from your neighbor’s bird watching club about the other birders in neighboring areas. Now you can also visit the other neighbor areas and ask them about the hummingbirds.
  • You can also visit the humming bird’s migration map on the internet. You can study the map for different years. You can also observe your area for several years. After all the above information, you can conclude a specific date for a hummingbird’s arrival in your area.
  • When you conclude a specific date for your area, you need to put out the feeders ten to fifteen days before that particular date. Sometimes the birds arrive before a particular time.
  • Maybe you don’t find any visitor for some days, but you need to keep changing the nectar regularly. You need to stay clean your feeder to prevent hummingbirds from any health issue. After all, you don’t know the exact dates, and you don’t want to feed the hummingbirds with dirty nectar.

General Clues to Find the Timing of Humming bird’s arrival

No matter in which area you live, weather changes continuously in all areas. Your climate varies according to the different seasons. Hummingbirds mostly migrate in different areas depending upon the climate changes because the environment changes directly affect the flower blooming, the natural food source of hummingbirds. So you can concentrate on the following general points.

  • Anything which is giving you the sign of spring arrival likes first flower blooming or swelling tree buds.
  • Maybe some migrant birds arrive first like warblers, buntings, and some other migrants.
  • When you see the local birders are starting to put out their feeders.
  • You can also judge the bird’s arrival dates according to your personal experience. Mostly the migrants follow the same routes as they follow in the previous years.

Early is Better than Late

When you are feeding the hummingbirds, you can make a rule for yourself, and the rule is “putting out the early feeder is better than late. You don’t need to wait until the first hummingbirds arrive in your area, then you put out the feeder. Because when you wait for the early hummingbird arrival, maybe you miss out the first migrants arrive in your area. The hummingbirds have a great geographical memory when they visit your feeder in a year; hopefully, they will come in the next year as well, and when they found your feeder every year, it will become their first choice in your area. But if you put out your feeders early, it does not mean that you don’t need to replace the nectar until the hummingbirds feed it. You need to keep clean your feeder and regularly change your nectar and prevent it from freezing.

Why it’s essential to know “when to put out the hummingbird feeders”?

When you are new in the hummingbirds feeding the community, it’s essential to know about the arrival dates of hummingbirds in your area. You don’t want to waste your nectar and feeder. If you don’t know about the humming bird’s arrival time, the hummingbirds may pass through your area, then you put out the feeders and wait for the hummingbirds to visit your feeder.

Moreover, hummingbirds have a great memory, so whenever they pass through your area, they will visit the previous year’s place of your feeder to find the nectar. If you are late and don’t put the feeder yet, the hummingbirds will found the other feeder near it and maybe don’t revisit your feeder.

Sometimes the hummingbirds arrive in some areas where the flower is not bloomed yet. These areas especially need the feeders to feed the hummingbirds. So you need to put out a reliable feeder in those areas to provide the energy source to hummingbirds. If the weather is still cold in these areas, you can pull out your feeder at nights and put it out in the early morning again to prevent the nectar from freezing.

Tips to put out your hummingbird feeder

Make sure your feeder is easily watchable for hummingbirds. If the hummingbirds can’t see your feeder, they will not visit your feeder. Try to put out the feeder above 10 to 15 feet from any cover. Make sure you can also see the feeder and easily replace and refill the nectar. You can hang your feeder on the edge of your porch, close to a window. The best place to put out the feeder is above the tree so the birds can rest on the tree as well when they are not feeding.

 

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One Comment

  1. It really helped when you said to put out feeders for hummingbirds if you live in the south of Texas or Florida. Since I live in Florida now, I want to find a nice hummingbird feeder because I love those birds. I’ll be sure to find a nice one online that I can easily hang in my yard.

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