When do black-chinned hummingbirds arrive in Texas?
The Black-chinned Hummingbird is a summer breeder in Texas — here is when to expect it, when it leaves, and how to be ready.
Black-chinned Hummingbird timing in Texas
- Arrives
- Around February
- Leaves
- By August
- Status here
- Summer breeder
- Nesting season
- March–July
- Present roughly
- February–August
In Texas, black-chinned hummingbirds are present through the warm months, arriving around February and heading south again by August.
These windows are set by latitude: Texas sits in the southern part of this species' range, so timing here runs earlier than the continental average — spring comes sooner, and the birds follow it. In any given year, weather can move the first arrivals by a week or two either way.
Month by month in this state
Highlighted months are when black-chinned hummingbirds are expected in Texas. The edges of the window are the interesting weeks — first arrivals and last departures vary most from year to year.
Getting ready before they arrive
The week before February is the time to act. Have feeders cleaned, filled and out by early February — the first black-chinned hummingbirds into Texas are scouting for reliable food, and a station that's ready early gets added to their route.
Once nesting begins around March, adults switch to protein-rich food for their young and visits to feeders become quick and purposeful. Expect the busiest activity at dawn.
What black-chinned hummingbirds eat while they're here
- Nectar and gnats
The common summer hummingbird of Texas Hill Country and the desert Southwest; pumps its tail while hovering.
Full Black-chinned Hummingbird diet guide → · Best feeder for black-chinned hummingbirds →
Native plants that hold black-chinned hummingbirds in Texas
Food keeps a migrant for a day; habitat keeps it for the season. These Texas-native plants are known to attract black-chinned hummingbirds:
Native tubular red flowers; not the invasive Japanese honeysuckle.
Large orange trumpets through midsummer.
Scarlet late-summer spikes; a hummingbird magnet in moist soil.
Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
Red tubular spring flowers for early hummingbirds.
Blooms right as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds return.
Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit.
Nectar-rich in summer, seed for finches in fall.
Keep exploring
Frequently asked
When do black-chinned hummingbirds arrive in Texas?
black-chinned hummingbirds typically arrive in Texas around February, with nesting underway by March. Timing can shift a week or two with the weather in any given year.
When do black-chinned hummingbirds leave Texas?
Most black-chinned hummingbirds have left Texas by August. They spend the winter farther south and return the following spring.
Do black-chinned hummingbirds stay in Texas all year?
No — in Texas the Black-chinned Hummingbird is a summer breeder, present roughly February–August. Outside that window it is rarely seen in the state.
What should I put out before black-chinned hummingbirds arrive in Texas?
Have feeders up and clean by early February — first arrivals scout reliable food sources. Good offerings for this species: nectar and gnats.
Sources
- Black-chinned Hummingbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-chinned Hummingbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Black-chinned Hummingbird — Audubon Guide to North American Birds
- eBird region overview and bar charts — Texas
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023)
- Audubon Native Plants Database
- Texas Breeding Bird Atlas — Texas A&M
Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.