will soon head south for the winter if they haven't already started in your area. You're wondering when to stop feeding hummingbirds, so here are a few tips for finding the right time.
Leave your feeder out longer than you think you need to - you should bring your feeders inside for the winter when you last saw a hummingbird 2-3 weeks ago. For most of the northeast, that ends up being sometime between mid-October and early December.
Another sign to watch for is the type of hummingbird visiting your feeder, which indicates the migration stage your birds are in:• Males tend to migrate first• Females usually migrate second• Young hummingbirds will migrate last
Some people worry that leaving their feeders out will cause hummingbirds not to leave - this isn't the case! Hummingbirds have an instinct for when to start heading south, and leaving your feeder out will only help, not hinder, their journey.
more about when to stop feeding hummingbirds, including how to keep their water from freezing in fall and other situations when you should bring feeders inside, when you click "learn more" at the bottom of this slide!