Ruby-throated Hummingbird in September

September is the peak of fall migration. Huge numbers of birds move south on cold fronts, mixed flocks form, and summer residents slip away almost unnoticed. Young birds making their first migration appear in places the species rarely visits.

For the Ruby-throated Hummingbird specifically, September is a fall month of relative routine, with the species settled into its seasonal pattern across its range. Across the 44 states and provinces where ruby-throated hummingbirds occur, what the bird is doing this month depends heavily on latitude — the details below break it down by band.

Southern states

absent

Mid-latitudes

mostly absent (migration only)

Northern states & Canada

absent

In September, ruby-throated hummingbirds are absent in the South, mostly absent (migration only) 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.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are not nesting in September. The season runs May–August at mid-latitudes, and up to a month later in the North.

Outside the nesting season, ruby-throated hummingbirds put their energy into feeding and flocking rather than territory and young — which is exactly what makes them easier to watch and attract this month.

• Nectar from tubular red and orange flowers
• Gnats, mosquitoes and small spiders

Change nectar every 2 days in hot weather (under 80°F, every 4–5 days) and clean the feeder each refill. Males defend feeders aggressively; several feeders out of sight of each other help.

Migrants passing through may stop at feeders for a day and never return — September rewards watching closely. Natural seed and fruit crops are abundant, so feeder traffic can be uneven.

Full Ruby-throated Hummingbird diet guide → · Best feeder for ruby-throated hummingbirds →

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are settled and predictable in September, which makes this a good month to learn the bird's routine — same feeders, same perches, same times of day.

The state guides below show exactly where in your region ruby-throated hummingbirds are expected this month and which native plants hold them in a yard.

AlabamaAlbertaArkansasConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineManitobaMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippi