Frequently Asked Questions

Nongame Wildlife

When should I put up/take down my hummingbird feeders?

You can leave your feeder up all year if you'd like to attract some of those interesting winter hummingbirds, such as the Rufous hummingbird. Leaving hummingbird feeders up will not stall their migration, but may help some of those stragglers along who were slowed by illness or late nesting attempts. However, you may prefer to put up your feeder only during the migration and nesting seasons. Migration begins as early as January or February in some areas, but the general recommendation is to put up feeders by the Ides of March (March 15th). The time for taking down feeders certainly varies as well, but a good rule of thumb is to leave the feeders up until 2 weeks after you've seen the last hummingbird.