Costa's Hummingbird in May
Where Costa's hummingbirds are in May, whether they are nesting, and the best foods to offer right now.
May in the Costa's 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 Costa's 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 5 states and provinces where Costa's hummingbirds occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.
Where Costa's hummingbirds are in May
- Southern states
- absent
- Mid-latitudes
- year-round resident
- Northern states & Canada
- absent
In May, Costa's hummingbirds are absent in the South, year-round resident 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 Costa's Hummingbird nesting season — about a month earlier in the South and a month later in the North. Nest: cup in desert shrubs or cacti. Clutch 2 eggs, incubation 15–18 days, 1–2 per season.
The southern nesting season has already wound down, but northern pairs are still raising young — the whole season shifts later as you go north. 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
Nests in late winter in the Sonoran Desert and leaves the hottest areas by midsummer.
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 Costa's Hummingbird diet guide → · Best feeder for Costa's hummingbirds →
Watching Costa's 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 Costa's hummingbirds are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.
Costa's Hummingbird month by month
Costa's Hummingbird by state
Frequently asked
Where are Costa's hummingbirds in May?
In May, Costa's hummingbirds are absent in the South, year-round resident across mid-latitudes and absent in the North.
Do Costa's hummingbirds nest in May?
Yes — May falls inside the Costa's Hummingbird nesting season at mid-latitudes (a month earlier in the South).
What do Costa's hummingbirds eat in May?
Nectar and gnats.
Sources
- Costa's Hummingbird — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Costa's Hummingbird life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Costa's 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.