Hummingbird Migration in Arizona

Ten common questions about the migration of Arizona hummingbirds are discussed in this article.

When do hummingbirds arrive in Arizona?

The earliest arrivals of Arizona hummingbirds are seen in late February, with peak migration occurring in between March through May.
Arizona hummingbirds begin their spring migration north from as far away as Panama or as close as Mexico.

The first migrating hummingbirds will be males, followed by females about a week later. The males arrive first to stake out the territory that they will defend as they try to attract a female.

Anna’s hummingbirds are the most commonly seen, while Black-chinned and Broad-tailed hummingbirds are the first migrating hummingbirds to be seen in Arizona.

Watch for the male’s vividly colored gorget; a week or so later, the females will begin to appear at your feeders.

Read my article:
How to Identify a Hummingbird’s Gender in 4 Easy Steps

Photo Taken: Hassayampa River Preserve, Maricopa County, Arizona.

Hummingbirds starting their spring migration from Panama need to fly about 2,600 miles to reach Arizona.

Hummingbirds starting their journey from mid-Mexico need to fly about 1,100 miles to reach mid-Arizona.

What are the most common hummingbirds seen in Arizona?

The Anna’s hummingbirds are the most common hummingbirds seen in Arizona, with the Broad-billed hummingbird being a close second.

These are Arizona’s statistics at the beginning of 2025 as reported by ebird.org

• On average, out of 10,000 hummingbird sightings in Arizona, 3,587 will be Anna’s.
• On average, out of 10,000 hummingbird sightings in Arizona, 1,701 will be Broad-billed.

Photo Taken: Hassayampa River Preserve, Maricopa County, Arizona.

Photo Taken: Madera Canyon, Arizona.

Are there Arizona hummingbirds that live in the state year-round?

The Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds live in Arizona year-round.
Some Anna’s, Broad-billed, and Costa’s are seen over-wintering in Arizona along with occasional sightings of Broad-tailed, Rivoli’s, Rufous, Violet-crowned, and Berylline hummingbirds seen in the middle of winter.
All other hummingbird species found in Arizona are migratory and leave for warmer climates in the fall.

Other hummingbirds seen in the middle of winter are those that are too old or injured to migrate.

The general public is unaware of how cold-tolerant hummingbirds actually are.
According to eBird.org, through branding practices hummingbirds are documented to survive in temperatures of -9F and wind chills of -36F.

See my article:
3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds that are year-round to Arizona.

Photo Taken: Surprise, Arizona.

What hummingbirds breed and nest in Arizona?

The 11 hummingbirds that breed and nest in Arizona include:
Anna’s, Broad-billed, Black-chinned, Costa’s, Broad-tailed, Rivoli’s, Violet crowned, Blue-throated Mt-gem, Lucifer, Berylline, and White-eared hummingbirds.

Breeding map for hummingbird that breed and nest in Arizona, reported by ebird.org

• Anna’s
• Broad-billed
• Black-chinned
• Costa’s
• Broad-tailed
• Rivoli’s
• Violet-crowned
• Blue-throated Mt-gem
• Lucifer
• Berylline
• White-eared

The entire reason for northern migration, much like salmon swimming upstream to their place of birth to lay eggs, is to return to the area where they were born to mate, build a nest, and raise a family.
Once the breeding grounds have been reached, focus turns to finding a partner with which to mate.

Each species of male hummingbirds has its own unique mating dance ritual of courtship to attract a female. They do perfectly choreographed dives and dance maneuvers to attract a flirty female.

See my article: 
Hummingbird Dance: 5 Interpretive Explanations

There is no penetration during the mating ritual as male hummingbirds do not have any external sexual organs.

The mating process only lasts for approximately 3-5 seconds while the cloacae (kloh-ay-see) of both hummingbirds are pressed together in what is called the “Cloacal Kiss” (kloh-a-coal kiss).

After the Cloacal kiss, the female must begin building the nest immediately.
Female hummingbirds prefer building nests 10 to 20 feet off the ground in deciduous trees.
It will take her between 5 and 7 days to construct the nest of materials such as plant down, moss, and fine plant fibers, decorated with lichens and held together by spider webs.

See my article: 
Hummingbird Parents: (Mating to Nesting)

See my article: 
Baby Hummingbirds: (Egg to Fledgling)

Hummingbirds usually lay 2 eggs per brood, one each on consecutive days.

On average, hummingbirds will raise two families per year in Arizona.
However, there are occasions where they are able to work in an additional family for a total of three families per year.

When should I put out my hummingbird feeders in Arizona?

Arizona hummingbird enthusiasts should put out hummingbird feeders in late-February to attract the earliest migrating hummingbirds.
The peak spring migration period starts in March through May, therefore having your feeders ready early will help attract these tiny travelers.

Approximately one week after the arrival of the male hummingbirds, the females will follow.

Keep feeders up throughout the hummingbird season in Arizona between late February through mid-October.
Make sure to use high-quality nectar solutions in your hummingbird feeders; homemade nectar works best.

See my article:
Forget Commercial Hummingbird Food, Try Making Homemade Nectar

See my article:
The One Thing You Need to Eliminate From a Hummingbird’s Diet

Clean feeders regularly (every 2-3 days in hot weather) to prevent mold and bacteria.
Place feeders in partially shaded areas to keep nectar fresh longer.

Many Arizona hummingbird admirers leave their hummingbird feeders up all winter long to provide life-nourishing nectar to hummingbird species unable to migrate due to injury or old age.

However, most of these hummingbirds will not spend the winter in Arizona and will decide to migrate south for the winter.

How long do hummingbirds stay in Arizona?

Arizona migrating hummingbirds stay in the state for at least eight months.
They will start arriving as early as late February and most will be gone by mid-October.
The Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds species live in Arizona year-round.

Hummingbird Seasons in Arizona

Season:	Activity:
Late February	First arriving (Black-chinned) Year-round (Anna’s and Costa’s)
March – May	Peak season for breeding and nesting
Late July – Mid-October	Fall migration
Late October – Beyond	Rare overwintering species (Broad-billed, Broad-tailed, Rivoli’s, Rufous, Violet-crowned, and Berylline)

Hummingbirds have exceptional memories and will remember every flower or feeder they visited on the spring migration and will return to those nectar sources on their return southern migration in the fall.

See my article: 
Hummingbird Adaptation and Remarkable Ability to Locate Food

Photo Taken: Surprise, Arizona.

The top three most common hummingbirds seen in Arizona are the Anna’s, Broad-billed, and Black-chinned hummingbirds, listed in order of frequently seen.

During the hot summer months, when the obstacles of summer heat are difficult to manage and unbearable, finding ways to keep your hummingbirds happy and hydrated with cool nectar is crucial.

See my article:
How to Help Hummingbirds in Hot Weather

Fall migration begins in late July and most hummingbirds will be gone from Arizona by mid-October.

Some of the hummingbirds that usually migrate may choose to over-winter in Arizona, but most will migrate south for the winter.

The general public is unaware of how tolerant hummingbirds actually are.
Some banded hummingbirds have been observed at temperatures as low as -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to eBird.org.

Arizona hummingbird enthusiast will keep feeders up during the winter for year-round residents the Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds along in rare times for those hummingbirds too old or injured to migrate.

See my article: 
11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

When do hummingbirds leave Arizona?

Arizona hummingbirds begin leaving the state as early as late July and by mid-October they have migrated to their over-wintering areas in Mexico and Central America.
The Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds species live in Arizona year-round.

A few older hummingbirds will be the first to start the fall migration, depending on their strength and energy, with the youngest hummingbirds finishing the fall migration by mid-October.

Hummingbird migration is triggered by the circadian (internal daily clock) and the circannual (yearly internal clock) rhythm.
Changes in the weather, temperature, time of season, decline in food supply and shorter days with less sunlight are factors that influence the beginning of fall migration.

Similar to spring migration, male hummingbirds are the first to leave and head south for the winter during fall migration.
As soon as the female hummingbirds have finished raising their young and can travel independently, they will set out on their southern fall migration.

How long does it take a Arizona hummingbird to migrate?

It takes an Arizona hummingbird about 37 hours of flying at its average migrating flight speed of 30mph to fly from the middle of Arizona to the middle of Mexico 1,100 miles away.
Hummingbirds migrating to Panama 2,600 miles away, will need to fly 87 hours.

Some fly at the relaxed distance as slow as 1 hour per day, others fly up to 500 miles non-stop in about 20 hours as some do while migrating across the Gulf of Mexico.

Hummingbirds do not migrate in flocks as do other migrating birds.
Hummingbirds migrate individually on their own personal time clock.
This staggered migration pattern ensures resources are not consumed and depleted all at one time.

As migration approaches, hummingbirds routinely gain 25% to 50% of their body weight by consuming increased quantities of nectar from feeders and flowering plants as well as catching an increased quantity of bugs mid-air for protein.
This increase in body fat helps fuel the hummingbird on its long migration journey.

The hummingbirds that visited your feeders during the spring migration will remember exactly where your feeder is located and will most likely revisit that same feeder on their way to their over-wintering area in Mexico and Central America.

Maintaining feeders is critical in order to maximize food consumption that nourishes and prepares their bodies for migration.

See my article: 
Hummingbird Adaptation and Remarkable Ability to Locate Food

When should I take down my hummingbird feeders in Arizona?

Mid-October or after a few weeks without any hummingbird sightings, is the ideal time to remove Arizona hummingbird feeders for the winter.
However, many Arizonans leave feeders up all winter to feed year-round resident hummingbirds (Anna’s and Costa’s) and those too old or injured to migrate.

Hummingbirds are much more tolerant of cold temperatures than most people realize.
They depend on these wintertime feeders and may can die if hummingbird feeders are taken down in the middle of winter during periods of below-freezing temperatures.

According to eBird.org, some banded hummingbirds have been documented in temperatures of -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -36 degrees Fahrenheit.

See my article:
11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

See my article:
Should I Keep My Hummingbird Feeder Out During the Winter?

Most migrating hummingbirds will not spend the winter in Arizona and will decide to migrate south for the winter.

Where do Arizona hummingbirds go in the winter?

Arizona’s year-round resident hummingbirds, the Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds, remain in Arizona over the winter.
All other migrating Arizona hummingbirds travel south to over-winter in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Allen’s over-winter in lower Mexico and southern California.

All hummingbirds have excellent memories and can remember every flower or feeder they visited during spring migration and will return to those locations along their migration pathway year after year.

Some hummingbirds have been documented returning to a feeder for a couple of years after it was removed.

See my article:
Hummingbirds Found in Arizona: (Pictures and Sounds)

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions

Happy Hummingbird Watching!