Hummingbirds in Georgia have two seasons, which is two more than most people realize. There's the summer rush of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds everyone knows about, and then a quiet winter season of western visitors that most Georgians never notice because they took their feeders down in October. (Guilty, years ago. We'll fix that.)
Georgia also has two things going for it as hummingbird habitat: a long growing season and a deep bench of native plants. Here's when hummingbirds come and go, which species to look for, and what to plant so they stick around.
Hummingbirds in Georgia at a Glance
| Species | When you'll see it | How common |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | March through October | Common, the only species that nests in Georgia |
| Rufous Hummingbird | Fall through early spring | The most common winter hummingbird |
| Black-chinned Hummingbird | Fall and winter | Rare, a few each winter |
| Calliope Hummingbird | Winter | Rare, usually one or two a winter |
| Nine other western and tropical species | Mostly winter | Very rare, a handful of records each |
Types of Hummingbirds in Georgia
Thirteen hummingbird species have been recorded in Georgia, but only one nests here. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources confirms the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only species known to nest in the state, so it's almost certainly the one at your feeder from spring through fall.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Males have the glittering red throat. Females and young birds have plain white throats and are trickier to tell apart from rarer species. If you see a hummingbird in Georgia between April and September, it's this one.
Rufous Hummingbird. A western bird that has become Georgia's most common winter hummingbird. It's rusty orange (males are basically a flying copper penny), and it's famously feisty at feeders.
The rarities. The Georgia Ornithological Society keeps a review list of hummingbirds so rare in the state that sightings need documentation, including Calliope, Anna's, Allen's, Broad-tailed, Buff-bellied, Broad-billed, and Rivoli's Hummingbirds. Black-chinned Hummingbirds turn up most falls and winters, too. They look a lot like a female Ruby-throated but pump their tails constantly while hovering.
When Do Hummingbirds Come to Georgia?
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive from south to north starting in late February. According to Georgia DNR's long-running Out My Backdoor column, you can expect your first birds around:
| Region | First Ruby-throated Hummingbirds |
|---|---|
| Far south Georgia | Around March 1 |
| South Georgia | Around March 11 |
| Middle Georgia | Around March 21 |
| North Georgia | Around April 1 |
The first arrivals are hungry. Few flowers are blooming yet, which is exactly why early native bloomers (and an early feeder) matter so much. More on both below.
When Do Hummingbirds Leave Georgia?
Most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds leave Georgia in September and October. Numbers actually peak from late August to early September, when local birds are joined by migrants from farther north. Adult males leave first, then females and young birds trickle out, and the last migrants are usually gone by the end of October.
So if your feeder suddenly goes quiet in late September, you didn't do anything wrong. They just got their boarding call.
Georgia's Second Hummingbird Season: Winter
Here's the part most people miss. Starting as early as August and lasting into March, western hummingbirds wander east and spend the winter in Georgia. Rufous Hummingbirds are by far the most common, and Georgia DNR has documented more than 100 of them in a single winter.
DNR's advice is simple: the best way to spot a wintering hummingbird is to leave at least one feeder up throughout the winter. If you see a hummingbird in Georgia between November and February, Georgia DNR wants to hear about it. Its hummingbird fact sheet asks you to report winter sightings to the Wildlife Conservation Section at (478) 994-1438.
When to Put Out Hummingbird Feeders in Georgia
Based on DNR's arrival dates, have your feeder up by about March 1 in south Georgia and by mid-March everywhere else. Getting it out a week or two early costs nothing and catches the first hungry arrivals.
When to take hummingbird feeders down in Georgia
You don't have to. Georgia DNR recommends that you keep at least one feeder up throughout the year. And no, leaving it up won't trap your Ruby-throateds here. As DNR puts it, hummingbirds migrate in response to shorter days, not food, so you can't keep them from migrating by leaving feeders up.
Feeder basics
- Mix 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water. Skip the red dye. DNR says there's no need for it. Our hummingbird food recipe walks through it.
- In warm weather, change the nectar every 2 to 3 days, or sooner if it gets cloudy.
- Clean the feeder every time you refill it. Our guide to features every hummingbird feeder needs covers which designs are easiest to keep clean.
Native Plants That Attract Hummingbirds in Georgia
Feeders are the snack bar. Native plants are the full restaurant, and they bring the tiny insects hummingbirds need for protein, too. These natives co-evolved with Georgia's pollinators and produce reliable nectar. For our full list of 17 picks, see Georgia hummingbird migration plants.
Eastern Red Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Eastern Red Columbine blooms in late February and March in Georgia, which makes it one of the first nectar sources for early arrivals. The nodding red-and-yellow flowers with long spurs are a near-perfect fit for a hummingbird's bill.
It grows well in dappled shade under deciduous trees and reseeds once established. Plant it in fall or late winter so it's ready to bloom when the first hummingbirds show up.
Bee Balm (Monarda spp.)
Georgia's native bee balms, Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), White Bergamot (Monarda clinopodia) and Spotted Bergamot (Monarda punctata), bloom from late spring through late summer, and hummingbirds visit all three.
Many showy Monarda cultivars are prone to powdery mildew in Georgia's humid summers, and native species hold up better. If the tag just says "Bee Balm" with no botanical name, ask before buying.
Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
Cardinal Flower is one of the most reliable hummingbird plants in Georgia, and its bloom lines up nicely with the late-summer peak. It likes moist soil and partial shade, so plant it near a water feature or a low spot that stays damp. Add a hummingbird bird bath nearby and you've built a complete hummingbird amenity cluster.
Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)
The 'Major Wheeler' cultivar of native Trumpet Honeysuckle is one of the best performers in Georgia gardens: heavy flowering from spring through fall, heat-tolerant, and mildew-resistant.
Don't confuse it with Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), which is so naturalized in Georgia that most people assume it's native. It isn't. Japanese Honeysuckle is fragrant with creamy-white flowers. Trumpet Honeysuckle is unscented with red-orange tubes, which is exactly what hummingbirds are looking for.
Beardtongue (Penstemon spp.)
Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) grows in sun to part shade with white flowers in late spring. Small's Beardtongue (Penstemon smallii) is native to the Southern Appalachians and suits mountain Georgia gardens, while Southern Beardtongue (Penstemon australis) handles heat and poor soil in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. Hummingbirds visit all of them in spring.
Blazing Stars (Liatris spp.)
Georgia has several native Blazing Stars, including Dense Blazing Star (Liatris spicata), Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera), and Georgia Blazing-star (Liatris tenuifolia). Their tall purple spikes bloom right when you want them, during the late-summer and fall migration. They're drought-tolerant, thrive in poor soil, and bring in monarch butterflies as a bonus.
Native Hibiscus (Hibiscus spp.)
Scarlet Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coccineus) and Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) are both Georgia natives with enormous summer flowers that hummingbirds, bumblebees, and other pollinators visit. Both like consistently moist soil and can reach 6 feet, so they'll need water during dry spells and a spot where a statement plant makes sense.
Salvia (Salvia spp.)
Tropical Sage (Salvia coccinea) is native to Georgia and blooms scarlet from late spring until frost, carrying your yard right through fall migration. Lyre-leaf Sage (Salvia lyrata) has pale lavender flowers and shrugs off drought. Both beat the non-native salvias that dominate garden-center displays.
Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)
Native Trumpet Vine produces big orange-red flowers from summer through fall that draw every hummingbird in the neighborhood. It's also one of the most aggressively spreading plants in the state. The hummingbird value is real. So is the management commitment. Don't plant it near anything you value structurally.
Lantana: Pick the Right One
Common lantana (Lantana camara) is non-native and listed as an invasive plant in Georgia, so skip straight L. camara. Hybrid cultivars like 'Miss Huff' are popular, cold-hardy, and hummingbirds love them, but ask whether a cultivar sets seed before buying. A native plant nursery will know.
Skip the Big-Box "Hummingbird Garden" Display
Native plants from a Georgia native plant nursery will outperform the "hummingbird garden" endcap at a big-box store almost every time. Plants bred for showy flowers often produce less nectar than straight native species, and the displays are full of non-natives like butterfly bush that do little for Georgia's insects, which are half of a hummingbird's diet.
The Georgia Native Plant Society keeps a list of native plant nurseries by region. For the rest of the habitat picture, see our guides on how to attract hummingbirds and alternative pesticides that won't wipe out the bugs they eat.
Hummingbirds in Georgia FAQ
When do hummingbirds come back to Georgia?
The first Ruby-throated Hummingbirds reach far south Georgia around March 1, middle Georgia around March 21, and north Georgia around April 1, according to Georgia DNR. Have feeders up by early to mid-March.
When do hummingbirds leave Georgia?
Most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds leave in September and October, after numbers peak in late August and early September. The last migrants are usually gone by the end of October. Western visitors like the Rufous Hummingbird may arrive just as they leave.
What kinds of hummingbirds live in Georgia?
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only species that nests in Georgia. In winter, the Rufous Hummingbird is the most common visitor, and rarer western species like the Black-chinned and Calliope Hummingbirds show up some years. Thirteen species have been recorded in the state.
Should I leave my hummingbird feeder up in winter in Georgia?
Yes. Georgia DNR recommends keeping at least one feeder up all year. It won't stop Ruby-throateds from migrating, and every winter some western hummingbirds (mostly Rufous) stay in Georgia and need a reliable food source. Report any winter hummingbird to Georgia DNR at (478) 994-1438.
What is the best plant for hummingbirds in Georgia?
There's no single winner, but Cardinal Flower, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Tropical Sage, and Eastern Red Columbine are hard to beat. Together they cover early spring through fall migration.
When in Doubt, Just Plant Something Red
Get your plants in the ground before the first arrivals, keep one feeder up all year, and decide carefully where the Trumpet Vine is going to live for the next thirty years. The hummers arrive in March, and they know exactly what they're looking for. Spot a winter visitor? Share it with other Georgia birders on the Sparkbird App (after you call DNR).
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