Hummingbird Migration in Mississippi: 2026 Timing

Q: When do hummingbirds leave Mississippi?

Adult males start south around September 10; the main departure wave passes about October 1, and the last stragglers — usually juveniles — trickle through until November 10. Some western species winter here, so a late hummingbird isn't necessarily lost.

Q: When should I take my hummingbird feeders down in Mississippi?

Don't take them down — Mississippi hosts hummingbirds in winter. Keep at least one feeder clean and full year-round, and you may host a rare western species in December.

Q: When do hummingbirds arrive in Mississippi?

First males typically show up around March 10, with most feeders active by March 30. Put feeders out a week or two before the first typical arrival — early birds arrive hungry.

Q: What hummingbird species live in Mississippi?

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (breeding, March–October); Rufous & Buff-bellied (winter visitors on the coast).

Q: What is the correct hummingbird nectar recipe?

One part plain white sugar to four parts water. No red dye (unnecessary and possibly harmful), no honey (ferments into toxins), no sugar substitutes. Change nectar every 2–3 days in warm weather, every 4–5 in cool weather, and rinse the feeder with hot water each refill.

Q: Why did my hummingbirds suddenly disappear in midsummer?

Almost always nesting, not leaving. Females go quiet while incubating and switch to insects for protein; males guard flower territories away from feeders. Traffic typically roars back in late summer when fledged juveniles and early migrants arrive together.

Arrivals ~March 10 · peak departure ~October 1 · keep feeders up all winter — winter hummingbird state.

Departure underway — stragglers through November 10

First arrivals

Mar 10

Peak departure

Oct 1

Feeders down

Keep up

The Mississippi hummingbird season at a glance

Live · updates daily

Today

Typical hummingbird season in Mississippi, first arrival to last straggler. Individual years shift ±1–2 weeks with weather.

March 10

First males

feeders busy by March 30

September 10

Males depart

adults leave first

October 1

Main wave south

November 10

Last stragglers

keep feeders up all winter

The Mississippi coast is part of the "winter hummingbird coast" — banders have documented a dozen species between Ocean Springs and the Delta.

Your dates

Hummingbird dates for your exact ZIP

The dates above are for Mississippi as a whole. Enter a ZIP code for the arrival, departure and feeder dates at that location:

The season, phase by phase

How the Mississippi season unfolds

Arrival · March 10 males first

Adult males arrive ahead of females to claim territory. Have feeders out 1–2 weeks before March 10 — the earliest birds arrive depleted, and a ready feeder can anchor them to your yard for the season.

Nesting · March 30 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 · September 10–October 1 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 November 10 stragglers

Migrants taper off, but this is a winter-hummingbird state: keep at least one feeder clean and full all winter and you may host a rare western species in December.

Female calliope hummingbird feeding two chicks in a lichen-covered nest — The midsummer "disappearance," explained: a walnut-sized nest, two chicks, and a female hunting insects instead of visiting your feeder.

Who you’re watching

Hummingbird species in Mississippi

Species	Status in Mississippi
Ruby-throated Hummingbird	breeding, March–October
Rufous & Buff-bellied	winter visitors on the coast

East of the Great Plains, the ruby-throated hummingbird carries the entire show — the only breeding hummingbird in the eastern US, wintering in Mexico and Central America, with many crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single 18–22 hour nonstop flight.

Ruby-throated hummingbird feeding at common milkweed — A ruby-throated hummingbird refuels — the species that carries the entire eastern migration on its back.

Feeder protocol

Feeding Mississippi’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 February 26 (about two weeks before first arrivals); leave at least one up all winter. Migration runs on day length, so a feeder never delays a bird.

Hummingbird drinking at a glass bottle feeder against an open sky — Any feeder works if the nectar is fresh — the 1:4 sugar-water inside matters infinitely more than the hardware around it.

Derived from Mississippi’s dates

Your Mississippi feeder calendar

Every date below is computed from Mississippi’s own arrival and departure anchors — no generic advice, these are your dates:

Feeder task	Typical Mississippi date	Why then
Hang feeders	February 26	~2 weeks before first arrivals (March 10) — early males arrive depleted
Expect the nesting lull	March 30 onward	Females switch to insects; traffic dips but the birds haven’t left
Add a second feeder	August 27	~2 weeks before departures begin — migrants stack on top of locals
Peak nectar demand	September 10 – October 1	Birds double body weight for the trip; busy yards drain a feeder daily
Winter protocol	Never	Winter hummingbird state — one clean, full feeder year-round

Beyond the feeder

Plant a yard in Mississippi they’ll fight over

Feeders are the appetizer; flowers and the small insects they attract are the meal. These eastern natives carry a yard through the September 10–November 10 migration crush:

Jewelweed (the #1 wild migration fuel)
Cardinal flower
Bee balm (Monarda)
Trumpet honeysuckle
Salvia — annual and perennial

Wild bergamot (bee balm) blooming at a meadow edge — Wild bergamot — the native bee balm. One established patch outdraws any feeder in Mississippi by midsummer.

Skip pesticides where you can — hummingbirds feed heavily on gnats, fruit flies, and spiders, especially females raising young.

Common questions

Mississippi hummingbird FAQ

When do hummingbirds leave Mississippi?

When should I take my hummingbird feeders down in Mississippi?

When do hummingbirds arrive in Mississippi?

What hummingbird species live in Mississippi?

What is the correct hummingbird nectar recipe?

Why did my hummingbirds suddenly disappear in midsummer?

Trumpet creeper blossoms — tubular flowers shaped for hummingbird bills — Tubular flowers like trumpet creeper co-evolved with hummingbird bills — plant one this fall and next season’s birds will find it.

Keep planning

The rest of your backyard season

Mississippi fall foliagePeak color November 8–November 22 — right as the birds head south.Mississippi first frostTypically November 10 — the freeze that ends nectar season.Mississippi mosquito forecastWhat else is flying in your yard — and when it finally stops.

More Southeast 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 →