Black-chinned Hummingbird in May
Where black-chinned hummingbirds are in May, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
May in the Black-chinned Hummingbird's year
May is the peak of the birding year. Migration floods the North, dawn chorus is at its loudest, and nesting is underway across most of the continent. By month's end the first broods of the year are hatching in mid-latitudes.
For the Black-chinned Hummingbird specifically, May is a spring month inside the nesting season — one of the most active and demanding periods of this bird's year. Across the 14 states and provinces where black-chinned hummingbirds occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where black-chinned hummingbirds are in May
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- summer breeder
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In May, black-chinned hummingbirds are absent in the South, summer breeder across the mid-latitudes, and absent in the northern states and Canada. That north–south split is the defining feature of this month: where you live changes which version of this bird you're looking at.
Nesting in May
May is inside the Black-chinned Hummingbird nesting season. Nest: tiny cup in riparian trees. Clutch 2 eggs, incubation 12–16 days, 1–2 per season.
The season is broadly synchronized across the range this month. During the nesting months, adults switch to protein-rich foods for their young, become more secretive around the nest site, and often visit feeders in quick, purposeful trips rather than lingering.
What to feed in May
- Nectar and gnats
The common summer hummingbird of Texas Hill Country and the desert Southwest; pumps its tail while hovering.
Adults feeding nestlings need easy calories. Some species that ignored feeders all winter now visit regularly, and you may see fledglings brought to feeders by their parents.
Full Black-chinned Hummingbird diet guide → · Best feeder for black-chinned hummingbirds →
Watching black-chinned hummingbirds this month
In May, the best watching is around food rather than the nest — adults make repeated foraging trips and are most visible at dawn and dusk. Give nesting birds space: if a bird is carrying food or scolding you persistently, you're close to a nest and should back off.
The state guides below show exactly where in your region black-chinned hummingbirds are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.
Black-chinned Hummingbird month by month
Black-chinned Hummingbird by state
Frequently asked
Where are black-chinned hummingbirds in May?
In May, black-chinned hummingbirds are absent in the South, summer breeder across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do black-chinned hummingbirds nest in May?
Yes — May falls inside the Black-chinned Hummingbird nesting season at mid-latitudes.
What do black-chinned hummingbirds eat in May?
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
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.