When to Put Out Hummingbird Feeders — and How to Know When These Beauties Will Visit Your Yard

'The optimal time to set out hummingbird feeders around your home depends on where you live,' explains Cornell Lab of Ornithology Project FeederWatch leader D. Emma Greig.

Some localities have hummingbirds year-round, whereas others only have them in spring and summer.

'Watch for spring blooms and longer days. Also watch for hummingbirds in your yard. Then you know to set out feeders.

With over 300 species, hummingbirds are native to the Americas but most diverse in the tropics. Some northern Americans only see hummingbirds in March.

Jen McGuinness, author of Bird-Friendly Gardening, says the Ruby-throated Hummingbird migrates east in September.

The bird will fly 600 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico to Mexico and Central America for the winter. Birds must collect food and save energy for the long overwater flight.

The hummingbird will start flying north in March, feasting on early-season flowering plants as it returns up the eastern coast of the U.S. You can choose yard feeders and the greatest hummingbird blooms.

'West of the Rocky Mountains, Allen's and Rufous Hummingbirds migrate but can live year-round.'

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