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When ruby-throated hummingbirds leave Massachusetts
When: August to September
Ruby-throated hummingbirds leave Massachusetts between late August and late September, and until then they are feeding hard at late-summer flowers and feeders.
Why this time of year
Massachusetts hummingbirds depart between late August and late September on their way to the tropics, so an August yard is hosting birds that are about to leave.
How to notice it
- Watch a patch of tube-shaped flowers or a clean nectar feeder in the yard.
- Keep the feeder up through September; departure is set by day length, not by food, so feeding does not delay their trip.
- See whether more than one hummingbird turns up; late-summer flowers pull in a crowd of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Try this with kids: Can you sit very still and count how many times a hummingbird visits one flower or feeder?
Sources
- massaudubon.orgRuby-throated Hummingbirds depart Massachusetts between late August and late September for tropical wintering grounds.
- massaudubon.orgMigration timing is most likely triggered by day length, not food availability; feeder guidance.
In the guide for August, September