Hummingbird Migration in Colorado: 2026 Timing
Arrivals ~April 15 · peak departure ~September 5 · feeders down ~October 12.
Season complete — next arrivals ~April 15The Colorado hummingbird season at a glance
Live · updates dailyThe broad-tailed's metallic wing-trill is Colorado's summer soundtrack — then pugnacious rufous migrants take over every feeder in late July.
Hummingbird dates for your exact ZIP
The dates above are for Colorado as a whole. Enter a ZIP code for the arrival, departure and feeder dates at that location:
How the Colorado season unfolds
Arrival · April 15 males first
Adult males arrive ahead of females to claim territory. Have feeders out 1–2 weeks before April 15 — the earliest birds arrive depleted, and a ready feeder can anchor them to your yard for the season.
Nesting · May 5 onward quiet weeks
Feeder traffic often dips while females nest — they're eating small insects for protein and staying close to the nest. The birds haven't left; they're busy. Keep nectar fresh through the lull.
The rush · August 10–September 5 peak chaos
The best feeder weeks of the year: local families plus southbound migrants stack up together, all trying to double their body weight for the trip. A busy yard can drain a feeder daily. Adult males slip out first.
Last calls · through September 28 stragglers
Juveniles and late movers trickle through until September 28. Leave feeders up until October 12 — about two weeks past the typical last bird — as a refueling stop for stragglers.
Hummingbird species in Colorado
| Species | Status in Colorado |
|---|---|
| Broad-tailed Hummingbird | breeding, April–September |
| Rufous Hummingbird | southbound migrant, July–September |
| Calliope & Black-chinned | migrant / local breeder |
The West runs a relay of species rather than a single act — resident breeders hold territories while rufous and calliope migrants pour through on the Rocky Mountain corridor in late summer, briefly stacking three or four species at one feeder.
Feeding Colorado’s hummingbirds, done right
The only recipe
1 part white sugar : 4 parts water. Nothing else — no red dye, no honey (it ferments into toxins), no substitutes. Red on the feeder does the attracting.
Keep it clean
Change nectar every 2–3 days in warm weather and rinse with hot water each refill. Cloudy nectar or black mold can be lethal — when in doubt, dump it.
The calendar
Hang feeders around April 3 (about two weeks before first arrivals); take them down around October 12. Migration runs on day length, so a feeder never delays a bird.
Your Colorado feeder calendar
Every date below is computed from Colorado’s own arrival and departure anchors — no generic advice, these are your dates:
| Feeder task | Typical Colorado date | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| Hang feeders | April 3 | ~2 weeks before first arrivals (April 15) — early males arrive depleted |
| Expect the nesting lull | May 5 onward | Females switch to insects; traffic dips but the birds haven’t left |
| Add a second feeder | July 27 | ~2 weeks before departures begin — migrants stack on top of locals |
| Peak nectar demand | August 10 – September 5 | Birds double body weight for the trip; busy yards drain a feeder daily |
| Take feeders down | October 12 | ~2 weeks after the last stragglers (September 28) |
Plant a yard in Colorado they’ll fight over
Feeders are the appetizer; flowers and the small insects they attract are the meal. These western natives carry a yard through the August 10–September 28 migration crush:
- Penstemon (beardtongue)
- Salvia and autumn sage
- Scarlet gilia
- Agastache (hummingbird mint)
- Desert willow / ocotillo (Southwest)
Skip pesticides where you can — hummingbirds feed heavily on gnats, fruit flies, and spiders, especially females raising young.
Colorado hummingbird FAQ
The rest of your backyard season
More Rockies hummingbird timing
Windows compiled from Journey North citizen-science records, eBird seasonal abundance, and Audubon/USFWS range data; individual years shift ±1–2 weeks with weather. National picture: where the birds are right now →