Hummingbird Migration: The 2026 Backyard Guide to Timing and Routes

If you put up a hummingbird feeder hoping to catch the spring rush, the timing matters more than the feeder. Migrants pass through fast, the front edge of arrival moves north at about 20 miles per day, and a feeder that goes up the week after the first scouts already swept your yard might as well not exist that year. This guide is the field reference for when hummingbirds arrive in each region, when they leave, the four flyway routes they actually use, and the trackers that actually work.

Most of the existing migration content on the web is either a single interactive map with light commentary, a regional column from a state wildlife agency, or a generic “migration begins in spring” piece. We synthesize the timing, biology, species range, and route data from Cornell Lab and Journey North into a single working document.

TL;DR

Ruby-throated Hummingbird covers everything east of the Great Plains. Seven other backyard species cover the western half. Put feeders out 1 to 2 weeks before peak arrival in your zone: late February Gulf Coast, mid-March Southeast, mid-April Mid-Atlantic and Lower Midwest, early May Great Lakes and New England, mid to late May Upper Midwest. Track real-time progress at Journey North. The fall takedown rule is 2 weeks after the last sighting; leaving feeders up does not trap birds north of their migration window. Climate change is shifting timing earlier in much of the country.

When hummingbirds arrive: spring migration by state

Hummingbird spring migration is the most-watched bird movement in North America. The front edge moves north at roughly 20 miles per day, with males arriving 1 to 2 weeks before females. Put feeders out 1 to 2 weeks before peak arrival so the first scouts find a clean food source.

The eastern half (Ruby-throated Hummingbird)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only widespread breeding species east of the Great Plains, covering every state from Texas to Maine. Cornell Lab’s Ruby-throated Hummingbird overview maps the spring sweep northward starting in February on the Gulf Coast and reaching Canada by late May.

The western half (Rufous, Anna’s, Allen’s, Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, Calliope)

The western half is more complex. Rufous Hummingbird breeds farthest north of any hummingbird (Alaska) and makes the longest hummingbird migration by body length. Anna’s Hummingbird is year-round on much of the Pacific Coast and has expanded its range northward over the past 50 years. Black-chinned Hummingbird is the widespread interior-West breeder. Allen’s Hummingbird is mostly California coastal. Broad-tailed Hummingbird breeds in the Rockies. Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest bird in North America and breeds in the Pacific Northwest mountains.

State-by-state spring arrival table

These dates are pulled from Cornell Lab’s eBird abundance data and Journey North’s annual citizen-science maps. Local weather years move the front edge by 1 to 2 weeks in either direction, so a yard report from a neighbor 30 miles away is usually more accurate than a generic state date.

When hummingbirds leave: fall migration by state

Fall departure is less synchronized than spring arrival. Adult males leave first, then adult females, then juveniles last (sometimes 2 to 3 weeks after the adults). The takedown rule that works for most yards is to keep feeders up until 2 weeks after the last confirmed sighting.

The fall departure rule (2 weeks after last sighting)

Take feeders down 2 weeks after your last sighting in your yard. Leaving them up longer than that during the active fall window is generally good for stragglers; once truly nobody is showing up, empty, clean, and store the feeder so fermenting nectar does not attract wasps or sicken late migrants.

State-by-state fall departure table

The “feeder will trap them” myth (don’t worry, take it down on time)

The most persistent backyard-birding myth is that a fall feeder traps hummingbirds north of their migration window. It does not. Migration is triggered by photoperiod (day length), not food availability. Cornell Lab and Audubon both debunk this explicitly. Leaving feeders up into fall actually helps:

• Late-migrating juveniles (especially Ruby-throated females and first-year birds)
• Unusual stragglers (Rufous Hummingbirds occasionally show up in the Southeast in fall)
• Overwintering individuals in milder zones

The right rule is take feeders down 2 weeks after your last confirmed sighting, not “by Labor Day” or any other fixed date.

The four migration routes hummingbirds actually use

Ruby-throated Hummingbird has three documented spring routes, and western species follow Pacific or Rocky Mountain corridors. The route matters because it determines when feeders should go up in your state.

Across the Gulf (the iconic 18-22 hour flight)

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds make an 18 to 22 hour nonstop flight of roughly 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula to the US Gulf Coast (typically landing in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, or the Florida Panhandle). To prepare, the bird nearly doubles its body weight in fat, gaining from about 3 grams to over 6 grams in the 2 to 3 weeks before departure. The Yucatan-to-Louisiana crossing is the iconic image of hummingbird migration but it is one of three documented Ruby-throated strategies, not the only one.

Around the Gulf via Texas

A second Ruby-throated group routes overland around the western edge of the Gulf, moving up through Mexico’s northeast coast and crossing into Texas. This route is slower and longer in total miles but avoids the open-water flight. Texas birders see the first Ruby-throats in late February to early March using this corridor.

Around the Gulf via Florida

A third Ruby-throated group moves north through Cuba, then through the Florida Keys, and up the Florida peninsula. This is the smallest of the three routes by population but explains some of the earliest Florida sightings.

Pacific routes (Rufous, Anna’s, Allen’s)

Western species follow entirely different corridors. Rufous Hummingbird breeds as far north as Alaska and migrates 3,900 miles round-trip via the Pacific Coast in spring and the Rocky Mountains in fall (a roughly clockwise loop). Anna’s Hummingbird is largely non-migratory in California and the Pacific Northwest. Allen’s Hummingbird follows the California coast. Black-chinned and Broad-tailed move up the interior West along the Rockies.

How hummingbirds actually migrate (the biology)

A few biological facts shape every other timing decision:

Fat doubling and the calorie math

In the 2 to 3 weeks before migration, hummingbirds increase their body mass by 25 to 100 percent, with most of the gain going into fat stored under the skin. Ruby-throats moving across the Gulf burn that entire reserve in the single crossing. A yard with a dependable feeder in March is more valuable to a southbound Ruby-throat than a yard with a feeder in May.

Solo, not in flocks

Hummingbirds migrate alone, not in flocks. The image of “a wave of hummingbirds” arriving is misleading; what actually happens is individual birds following the same calendar and front-edge weather patterns, so they appear at similar times in similar places without traveling together.

Day-flying, low altitude

Hummingbirds fly during the day at low altitude (mostly under 500 feet), navigating by sight. They follow shorelines, river valleys, and ridge lines when convenient and cross open water (Gulf, Caribbean) only when calorie-loaded for the trip.

Why males migrate first

Males arrive 1 to 2 weeks before females in spring because they establish territories before females arrive. The biological logic is that males do not provide parental care; their reproductive success depends entirely on holding good territory and attracting multiple females. Earlier arrival = better territory = more breeding success.

The 7 backyard hummingbird species and where each breeds

A few additional species (Costa’s, Lucifer, Buff-bellied, Magnificent, Blue-throated, Berylline) reach the desert Southwest, Big Bend region, and South Texas. If you live in southern Arizona or south Texas you may see 4 to 8 hummingbird species in a single summer.

Trackers and tools we recommend

Journey North (citizen-science map)

Journey North is the canonical citizen-science platform for hummingbird migration. Operated by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, the project collects tens of thousands of first-sighting reports each year and produces daily-refreshed maps during the spring and fall windows. Free, no account required to view. This is the single most useful tracker for backyard birders.

HummingbirdCentral community sightings

HummingbirdCentral runs a community sightings map that overlaps with Journey North but is smaller and updated less frequently. Useful as a secondary check.

eBird abundance maps

Cornell Lab’s eBird platform now produces weekly abundance maps showing the actual density of each species across its range, updated on a 7-day rolling window. These are scientifically rigorous (eBird is the source-of-truth for migration patterns) but require slightly more interpretation than Journey North’s first-sighting pins.

Audubon’s hummingbird-friendly yard guide

Audubon’s How to Create a Hummingbird-Friendly Yard covers the habitat side of the question, native plants, feeder placement, and supporting hummingbirds beyond the feeder.

When to put out your hummingbird feeder

Our companion article on when to put out hummingbird feeders walks through the operational details by state, but the short version is: 1 to 2 weeks before the peak arrival date in your zone, with a clean 4:1 sugar-water feeder (no red dye, no honey). See our hummingbird nectar recipe for the ratio.

If you have not picked a feeder yet, our best hummingbird feeder pillar covers tier picks by use case. And once birds arrive, how to attract hummingbirds and keep ants and bees out of hummingbird feeders cover the operational care that keeps a feeder station productive through the season.

Is climate change shifting hummingbird migration?

Yes, and the evidence is documented. Audubon’s How Climate Change Threatens Hummingbirds and the broader piece As Spring Shifts Earlier, Many Migrating Birds Are Struggling to Keep Up cover the main findings:

• Earlier spring arrival in much of the breeding range, on average. The shift is small year-over-year (days to a week) but compounds over decades.
• Northward range expansion for some species. Anna’s Hummingbird is the clearest case: it has expanded from southern California north through Oregon, Washington, and into British Columbia over the past 50 years, supported partly by year-round backyard feeders.
• Phenological mismatch. Audubon documents that Broad-tailed Hummingbird is still arriving at Rocky Mountain breeding grounds at roughly the same date as historical records, but its primary food source (glacier lily) is now blooming earlier. Result: less food at arrival.
• Some species at higher risk than others. Rufous Hummingbird is listed as climate-endangered. Calliope and Black-chinned are climate-threatened. Anna’s has benefited (so far) from urban habitat and feeder coverage.

The practical takeaway for backyard birders is to use current-year arrival data (Journey North, eBird) rather than historical generalizations. A “Mother’s Day rule” or “April 15 rule” passed down from a parent or neighbor may be 1 to 2 weeks off in your zone now.

What to skip

Old folklore arrival dates. “Hummingbirds arrive on Mother’s Day” / “Tax Day” / “Easter” type rules are too coarse and increasingly inaccurate as climate shifts the calendar. Use Journey North.

Taking feeders down too early. September 1 takedown costs you juveniles and stragglers and contributes nothing to migration timing. Use the 2-weeks-after-last-sighting rule.

Honey nectar, brown sugar, agave, artificial sweeteners. Honey grows fatal botulism in nectar. Other substitutes do not match wild nectar chemistry. Plain white table sugar plus water (4:1).

Red dye in nectar. No benefit, possible harm. The feeder body color attracts hummingbirds, not the nectar color.

Buying a “tracking-map ebook” or paid subscription service. Journey North is free, scientifically rigorous, and run by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum. Nothing in the paid space adds value.

Assuming all hummingbirds migrate. Anna’s Hummingbird stays year-round through most of its range. Some Ruby-throats overwinter in Florida. Western species have wide variation.

FAQ

Where is hummingbird migration right now? Check Journey North’s hummingbird project map (journeynorth.org/projects/hummingbird) for daily-updated sightings during the spring and fall windows. The map shows latitude and longitude pins for every reported first sighting in the current migration. By mid-May the front edge of Ruby-throated migration is typically into Canada, while late stragglers are still arriving in the Upper Midwest. Western species follow different timelines, and Anna’s Hummingbird is year-round on much of the Pacific Coast.

When do hummingbirds arrive in my state? Gulf Coast and Florida: late February to mid-March. Southeast and Texas: mid-March to early April. Lower Midwest and Mid-Atlantic: mid to late April. Great Lakes, New England, and Pacific Northwest: late April to early May. Upper Midwest, Northern New England, and southern Canada: mid to late May. Cornell Lab’s Ruby-throated Hummingbird range map and the species pages for Rufous, Anna’s, and Black-chinned show the precise weekly progression in your region.

How far do hummingbirds migrate? Ruby-throated Hummingbird travels up to 2,000 miles from southern Mexico and Central America to as far north as central Canada. Rufous Hummingbird makes the longest known hummingbird migration by body length: roughly 3,900 miles round-trip from Mexico to Alaska. Some western species (Anna’s) do not migrate at all and stay year-round on the Pacific Coast. The distance depends entirely on species.

Will leaving my feeder up keep hummingbirds from migrating? No. This is the most persistent myth in backyard hummingbird care. Migration is triggered by photoperiod (day length), not food availability. Cornell Lab and Audubon both explicitly debunk the trap-the-bird claim. Leaving feeders up into fall actually helps late migrants and the occasional out-of-range straggler (like a Rufous Hummingbird showing up in the Southeast). The right rule is take feeders down 2 weeks after your last confirmed sighting.

Do hummingbirds really fly across the Gulf of Mexico nonstop? Yes. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds make an 18 to 22 hour nonstop flight of roughly 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico from the Yucatan Peninsula to the US Gulf Coast. The bird nearly doubles its body weight in fat before the flight (from about 3 grams to over 6 grams). Not every Ruby-throated takes this route; some follow overland flyways around the western Gulf via Texas or via Florida and Cuba. The Gulf crossing is the iconic image, but it is one of three documented Ruby-throated routes.

Has hummingbird migration timing changed in recent years? Yes. Audubon and the Cornell Lab both document advancing spring arrival dates linked to warming temperatures. Some species (notably Anna’s Hummingbird) have expanded their year-round range northward over the past 50 years. The Broad-tailed Hummingbird is arriving at Rocky Mountain breeding grounds at roughly the same date, but its glacier lily food source is now blooming earlier, creating a phenological mismatch that affects breeding success. Most hummingbird species are still well-supported by backyard feeders that are put out and taken down on a current rather than historical schedule.

What to do this month

If it is spring (February to May) in your zone:

1. Find your region in the spring arrival table above.
2. Put feeders out 1 to 2 weeks before the peak arrival date.
3. Use the 4:1 sugar-water nectar recipe, no red dye.
4. Check Journey North’s hummingbird map weekly to see how close the front edge is to your latitude.
5. Once the first scout arrives, refresh nectar every 2 to 3 days (daily in heat).

If it is summer (June to August):

1. Maintain the refresh-every-2-to-3-days schedule.
2. Add a second feeder if you are seeing multiple males defending one feeder.
3. Plant native nectar species (bee balm, cardinal flower, salvia) to support migrants when they leave in fall.

If it is fall (September to November):

1. Keep feeders up. Leaving them up does not delay migration.
2. Watch for late juveniles and unusual stragglers (Rufous in the Southeast, etc.).
3. Take feeders down 2 weeks after your last confirmed sighting.
4. Empty, clean with a 9:1 water-vinegar scrub, and store.

If it is winter (December to February):

• In zones where Anna’s Hummingbird overwinters (Pacific Coast), keep feeders up year-round. Use a heated feeder or rotate two indoors to avoid freezing.
• In zones with overwintering Ruby-throats (Gulf Coast, Florida) or vagrant Rufous strays (Southeast), keep one clean feeder out as a public service to the bird.

Hummingbird migration is one of the great visible cycles in North American wildlife. The yards that consistently get birds are the ones that put feeders out the week before the front edge arrives, keep nectar fresh, and leave the feeder up long enough in fall to catch the last juvenile.