The Best Time To Put Out Your Hummingbird Feeders, According To Experts

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As hummingbirds begin their migration north, they’ll be on the look-out for delicious nectar to fuel their journey, so it’s important to know when to put out your hummingbird feeder for optimal enjoyment.

“Putting out a feeder guarantees that they’ll find something to feed on as they pass through the yard,” says David Wiedenfeld of the American Bird Conservancy. “It’s also really nice to give them an energy boost as they migrate northward.”

• David A. Wiedenfeld, Ph.D. is Senior Conservation Scientist for American Bird Conservancy in Warrenton, Virginia
• Jennifer McCarthey Tyrrell is Engagement Manager for Audubon South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina

Wiedenfeld explains that in the Southeastern United States, there is just one type of hummingbird – the Ruby-throated Hummingbird – although others sometimes migrate through the area in fall.

“Ruby-throats begin arriving back along the Gulf Coast in the last half of February, but the early migrants stay right along the coast, in southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida,” he explains. “Most of their migration occurs in late March and early April, when they head farther northward and farther inland.”

Depending on where you live, the hummingbird feeder can be put out as early as late February.

“But for most of the Southeast, it’s probably okay to wait until late March or early April,” Wiedenfeld says.

If you put your feeder out before the birds arrive, you will be able to catch the first birds.

“Being able to get some food