South Carolina Hummingbird Migration: 10 Majestic Travelers
Nine common questions regarding the migration of South Carolina hummingbirds are discussed in this article.
When Do South Carolina Hummingbirds Arrive?
During spring migration, South Carolina’s earliest migrating hummingbirds will arrive in late February on the coast, mid-March inland, and late-March for upstate northern South Carolina.
Males arrive first to stake out the territory that they will defend as they try to attract a female.
Females follow about a week later on their journey north to their preferred nesting area, somewhere near their own birth.
See my article:
How to Identify a Hummingbird’s Gender in 4 Easy Steps
Peak breeding and activity in South Carolina for hummingbirds occurs in April through August. They are actively nesting, breeding, and feeding.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are by far the most commonly seen South Carolina hummingbirds and will be the first migrating hummingbirds to be seen in South Carolina.
South Carolina hummingbirds begin their spring migration north from as far away as Panama or as close as Mexico.
South Carolina hummingbirds starting their spring migration north from Panama City, Panama need to fly about 3,912 miles over land or 1,724 miles flying across the Gulf of Mexico to reach Columbia, South Carolina.
South Carolina hummingbirds starting their journey north from Mexico, at the United States’ southernmost border at Brownsville Texas, need to fly 1,132 miles to reach Columbia, South Carolina.

Photo by: Paula Leftwich
Are There South Carolina Hummingbirds That Live in the State Year-round?
There are no hummingbird species that live in South Carolina year-round, however, some Ruby-throated, Rufous, Black-chinned, Buff-bellied, and Calliope hummingbirds are seen in the middle of winter.
South Carolina Hummingbirds That Are Seen During Winter Months Shown In Order Of Abundance Seen In Winter

Photo by: Andy Raupp

Photo by: Kevin Walsh

Photo by: bird.whisperer

Photo By: Anthony Lujan

Photo by: sony_alpha_male
The general public is unaware of how cold-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.
Read my article:
3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded
Which South Carolina Hummingbirds Breed and Nest in the State?
The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird that breeds and nests in South Carolina.
Ruby-throated – The Ruby-throated hummingbird has an extensive breeding area that covers the entire eastern half of the United States, and extends into Canada as far west as Alberta.

Photo by: paulapaintsart

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, the Ruby-throated and Black-chinned hummingbirds raise two families per year. 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 Up My Feeders For South Carolina Hummingbirds?
South Carolina hummingbird enthusiasts should put out hummingbird feeders in late-February to attract the very earliest arriving migrating hummingbirds.
The peak migration period occurs in April, therefore having your feeders ready early will help attract these tiny travelers.
The best time to hand feeders in South Carolina:
- Late February to Early March – Coastal South Carolina
(Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head) - Early to Mid-March – Midlands (Columbia, Florence, Sumter)
- Late March to Early April – Upstate (Greenville, Spartanburg, Rock Hill)
Approximately one week after the arrival of the male hummingbirds, the females will follow.
Keep feeders up throughout the peak hummingbird season between April through August.
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.

Photo by: Paula Leftwich
How Long Do South Carolina Hummingbirds Stay in the State?
The first migrating hummingbirds arrive in South Carolina in late-February and the last migrating hummingbirds are usually gone by mid-to-late October.
Some Ruby-throated, Rufous, Black-chinned, Buff-bellied, and Calliope hummingbirds occasionally overwinter in South Carolina, but most migrate south for the winter.
No hummingbird species live in South Carolina year-round.
According to eBird.org, through branding practices in Wisconsin, the Ruby-throated and Rufous hummingbirds have been documented surviving in temperatures of -9F and wind chills of -36F.
Read my article:
3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded
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
The most common South Carolina hummingbirds seen during the hot summer months will be the Ruby-throated hummingbird with the Rufous being a distant second.
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
Some migrating seasonal hummingbirds choose to over-winter in South Carolina and those too old or injured to migrate will be the only likely hummingbirds South Carolina hummingbird enthusiasts will see during the winter.
Therefore, keeping feeders up during the winter is important.
See my article:
11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing
When Do South Carolina Hummingbirds Leave the State?
South Carolina hummingbirds begin leaving the state as early as late September and by mid-October to early November they have migrated to their over-wintering areas in Mexico and Central America.
No hummingbirds live in South Carolina year-round.
Most of South Carolina migrating hummingbirds are gone by the end of November but a few stragglers might stay until the end of the year.
This elongated migration time frame ensures late straggling migrants have enough food available to fuel their bodies before making the long taxing migration south for the winter.
Some migrating seasonal hummingbirds choose to over-winter in South Carolina and those too old or injured to migrate will be the only likely hummingbirds South Carolina hummingbird enthusiasts will see during the winter.
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.
When Should I Take Down My Feeders For South Carolina Hummingbirds?
Take down hummingbird feeders in South Carolina by mid-November or after there have been no consistent hummingbirds at the feeder for a couple of weeks.
Feeders can be up all winter to feed some overwintering, migrating or injured hummingbirds, but removal in mid-winter can be fatal.
Keeping hummingbird feeders up during the winter is a noble gesture that helps them, however the challenge then becomes preventing the nectar from freezing.
See my article:
11 DIY Ways To Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing
The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) states that feeders can be left up late into the fall season without making hummingbirds delay their journey.
More so than food availability, the lengthening of the days affects when migrating birds depart.
See my article:
Should I Keep My Hummingbird Feeder Out During the Winter?
Some Ruby-throated, Rufous, Black-chinned, Buff-bellied, and Calliope hummingbirds occasionally overwinter in South Carolina and can depend on the nectar that some hummingbird fans leave out all winter long.
Hummingbird enthusiasts who leave hummingbird feeders up all winter provide much-welcome nutrition for late migrators and hummingbirds too old or injured to migrate.
If the feeders are taken down in the middle of winter during periods of below-freezing temperatures, hummingbirds can die.
The dilemma hummingbird enthusiasts struggle with every year is whether to leave the hummingbird feeders up all year or take them down during the winter.
Either way is ok, as long as it is consistent.
How Long Does It Take a South Carolina Hummingbird to Migrate?
It takes a South Carolina hummingbird 37 hours of flying at its average migrating flight speed of 30mph to fly from Columbia to the most distant Mexican border 1,132 miles away.
Hummingbirds migrating to Panama 1,724 miles across the Gulf of Mexico or 3,912 over land, will need to fly 57 or 130 hours respectively.
Some fly at a 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.

Photo by: Bob Free
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
Where Do South Carolina Hummingbirds Go in the Winter?
South Carolina’s migrating hummingbirds travel south to winter in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.
Ruby-throated – The Ruby-throated hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA including New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Photo by: Rekha Pawar

Rufous – The Rufous hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico. Rufous hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA including New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Photo by: Kevin Walsh

Black-chinned – The Black-chinned hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico. Black-chinned hummingbirds are seen in some years, during winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and as far north as Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Photo by: bird.whisperer

Buff-bellied – The Buff-bellied hummingbirds are not really migratory and live year-round in Southern Texas and the Gulf Coast of Mexico.

Photo By: Anthony Lujan

Calliope – The Calliope hummingbird overwinters primarily on the west coast of Mexico. Calliope hummingbirds are seen in some years, during winter months, in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Photo by: sony_alpha_male

Anna’s– The Anna’s hummingbird overwinters primarily in Southern California and the upper parts of Baja and Mexico. Anna’s hummingbirds are seen in some years, during winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA including Texas, Missouri, Illinois (Chicago area), Maryland, Utah, and Idaho.

Photo by: Kevin Walsh

Broad-billed – The Broad-billed hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico. Broad-billed hummingbirds are seen in some years, during winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA including Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Florida, and Utah.

Photo by: Aaron Gomperts

Allen’s – The Allen’s hummingbird overwinters primarily in Southern California. The Allen’s hummingbirds are seen in some years, during winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA including Texas, Tennessee, and as far north as Maryland, New York, and Wisconsin.

Photo by: IntheWildwithRick

Broad-tailed– The Broad-tailed hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico and Guatemala. Broad-tailed hummingbirds are seen in some years, during winter months, in scattered areas in Western Texas.

Photo by: bird.whisperer

Blue-throated Mountain-gem – The Blue-throated Mountain-gem hummingbirds are not migratory hummingbirds but reside in Mexico year-round. Some Blue-throated hummingbirds are seen in some years, during winter months, in scattered areas in Southern Arizona and Western Texas.

Photo by: Rekha Pawar

Every hummingbird has an exceptional memory. Throughout their spring migration, they can recall every flower or feeder they visited, and they will revisit those spots every year.
Hummingbirds have been seen to return to a feeder even after it has been removed for a few years.
See my article:
Hummingbird Adaptation and Remarkable Ability to Locate Food
To see all the hummingbirds seen in South Carolina
Read my article:
South Carolina Hummingbird Migration: 10 Majestic Travelers
Happy Hummingbird Watching!
Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions