Hummingbirds in Maine: When They Arrive and How to Keep Them Coming Back
September 27, 2026
A bird that weighs about as much as a penny spends its winter in the tropics, then flies thousands of miles north just to spend a few warm months in Maine. Hummingbirds in Maine complete this trip every spring, arriving hungry after a nonstop flight that can stretch across the Gulf of Mexico for nearly a full day. Before making that crossing, the birds pack on nearly double their body weight in fat reserves just to survive the trip.
This guide covers which species actually turn up in Maine, when to expect them from first arrival to last departure, and what a Maine yard needs — from nectar ratios to native plants — to keep them fed all summer long.
Understanding Hummingbirds in Maine
The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird: Maine’s Only Breeding Species
Of the roughly 300 hummingbird species found worldwide, only one raises young in Maine: the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). It is the only breeding hummingbird found east of the Mississippi River, which makes Maine’s hummingbird scene simpler than in much of the country. This species is the only one that breeds in the state, typically arriving in May and remaining through September, with males usually showing up before females.
Size-wise, these birds are almost impossibly small. Males average about 3 grams while females run closer to 3.5 grams — roughly one-tenth of an ounce, or about as much as a single sheet of paper. Anyone curious how this single Maine species stacks up against the hummingbird family as a whole can check out this breakdown of hummingbird species across North America for context on range and appearance.
Maine isn’t unique in leaning on one dominant species. States such as Pennsylvania and Michigan also see backyard activity driven almost entirely by ruby-throats, since Maine sits near the northern edge of the species’ breeding range and doesn’t get the species overlap found farther south or west.
Pro Tip: If you’re new to hummingbird watching in Maine, expect to see only one species regularly. Anything with a different throat color or shape is worth a second look and a photo.
Rare Visitors: Rufous and Calliope Hummingbirds
While ruby-throated hummingbirds are by far the most common species in Maine, birders occasionally spot rare western species such as the rufous hummingbird and calliope hummingbird, likely wanderers blown off course during migration or drifting east of their normal range. These sightings aren’t as rare as they used to be. Rufous hummingbirds are now being found in Maine almost annually, with most records coming from feeders in mid-October through November.
The rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) nests much farther west, in places like Oregon and Idaho, where it’s a routine summer sight rather than a rarity. Over the last few decades, rufous hummingbirds have shifted toward overwintering in the southeastern United States instead of traveling as far as southwestern Mexico, and the individuals that winter farther north tend to reach breeding grounds earlier and claim better territory. A small number even attempt to overwinter in Maine itself, though most still migrate south for the cold months.
Calliope sightings are rarer still. Maine Audubon has documented only two confirmed calliope hummingbird records in the state’s history, both from Monhegan Island in the fall.
When Hummingbirds Arrive and Leave in Maine
Sightings in Maine usually start picking up in the second half of April and keep increasing into early May, according to WGME’s coverage of the spring migration. Males stake out feeding territory first, and females typically join them one to two weeks later once the best spots are already claimed.
| Timeframe | What’s Happening |
|---|---|
| Mid-April | Feeders should already be up and waiting for early scouts |
| Late April – Early May | First males arrive and begin defending territory |
| Mid-to-Late May | Females arrive; mating and nest-building begin |
| June – August | Nesting, feeding chicks, peak feeder activity |
| September | Adults begin leaving, males first |
| Early October and later | Occasional stragglers and rare western species may appear |
Departure follows a similar staggered pattern: males leave first, then females, usually by the middle of September. The Bangor Daily News, reporting on the 2026 spring migration, confirms this same May-through-September window as the typical stretch Mainers can expect to see the birds.
The Biology Behind Their Migration
Hummingbirds carry the highest metabolic rate by weight of any vertebrate — a ruby-throat’s heart can race as fast as 20 beats a second, with a resting body temperature around 102 degrees Fahrenheit. That pace demands enormous fuel, which is why a ruby-throat can eat up to three times its body weight in a single day. More on these numbers and other surprising traits is available from Audubon’s rundown of ruby-throated hummingbird facts.
In flight, the wings beat 60 to 80 times a second, fast enough to create the whirring, insect-like hum that gives the birds their name. Their pectoral muscles make up as much as 30 percent of total body weight — a higher share than in any other group of birds, according to the American Bird Conservancy. That muscle mass is what makes hovering, backward flight, and sudden direction changes possible.
Burning fuel that fast has a downside on cold nights. To conserve fat reserves during a cold snap or a migratory rest stop, ruby-throats drop into a short-term hibernation-like state called torpor, sharply lowering both body temperature and heart rate.
The journey itself is staggering relative to the bird’s size. Before crossing the Gulf of Mexico, a ruby-throat increases its weight from about 3.25 grams to 6 grams, according to the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association. That fuel supports a nonstop flight of up to 500 miles over 18 to 22 hours. Whether birds travel the Atlantic seaboard through Maryland or the inland Appalachian corridor through East Tennessee, the route to Maine adds weeks onto an already exhausting trip.
Not every bird completes the Gulf crossing successfully. Ruby-throats that are too old, sick, or young to store enough fat instead winter along the Gulf Coast of the United States, in areas similar to the populations found around North Florida, where survival depends heavily on how mild the winter turns out to be.
Practical Guidance on Hummingbirds in Maine
Feeder Timing: When to Hang Up and Take Down
Getting the timing right matters more than most people expect. Feeders should go up by mid-April so they’re ready before the earliest scouts arrive, according to Pop’s Birding’s state-by-state hummingbird guide, since males often show up looking for established food sources rather than waiting for flowers to bloom.
On the other end of the season, Maine Audubon fields the same question every fall: when is it safe to take feeders down? Ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only species expected in Maine through summer, but the state increasingly sees rare western hummingbirds show up in the fall, with the rufous hummingbird being the most common of these uncommon visitors. Because of that, most experts now recommend leaving feeders up well into October rather than pulling them down right after Labor Day — a feeder left up won’t delay a healthy bird’s migration, but it might feed a straggler that needs the extra fuel.
Mixing Nectar and Choosing a Feeder
Store-bought nectar isn’t necessary, and the simplest recipe works best. A plain four-parts-water-to-one-part-sugar mix, made with white granulated sugar and no red dye, matches what ruby-throats find in natural nectar sources. Changing frequency matters just as much as the ratio itself — nectar spoils faster in the heat.
Pro Tip: Swap nectar every one to two days once temperatures climb above 90°F, but every five to six days is fine when it’s cooler than 70°F. Cloudy or discolored nectar should always be replaced immediately, regardless of schedule.
When it comes to hardware, a leak-proof design with a comfortable perch tends to attract more repeat visitors than the elaborate, colorful feeders sold at big-box stores. For a broader look at feeder placement, color choices, and yard setup that applies beyond Maine, the guide to what attracts hummingbirds covers the fundamentals in more depth.
Native Plants That Keep Them Coming Back
Feeders alone won’t hold a hummingbird’s interest all summer. Pairing feeders with the right native plants gives birds a backup food source and makes a yard more attractive during the weeks before feeders typically go up. The following plants are well-suited to Maine’s climate and bloom on a schedule that lines up with the hummingbird calendar:
- Wild columbine — one of the earliest-blooming nectar sources in spring
- Native honeysuckle varieties — climbing vines that produce tubular flowers hummingbirds favor
- Wild bergamot (bee balm) — a mid-summer bloomer that also draws pollinating insects
- Jewelweed — a late-summer wildflower that thrives in damp, shaded areas
- Cardinal flower — a tall, brilliant-red perennial that blooms right as fall migration begins
Not all of these plants are as common as they used to be. Maine Audubon has documented five honeysuckle species genuinely native to the state, and two of them — wild honeysuckle and swamp honeysuckle — are now listed as endangered or of special concern, which makes deliberate planting more valuable than ever for gardeners who want to support local pollinators.
Reporting Rare Sightings
Anyone who spots a hummingbird in Maine that doesn’t match the typical ruby-throated appearance — a different throat color, an unusual tail shape, or activity outside the normal May-to-September window — should document it with a photo if possible and report it to Maine Audubon. Records like these are exactly how researchers tracked the shift in rufous hummingbird overwintering patterns, and banding studies conducted on these rare visitors have shown that many of the same individuals return to the eastern United States across multiple years, turning a single backyard sighting into part of a larger research record.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds in Maine follow a predictable rhythm once the pattern is understood: ruby-throats arrive in late April or May, males first and females close behind, and most birds head south again by mid-September. Rare western wanderers like the rufous hummingbird add an unpredictable bonus for attentive birders, especially in October and November.
Getting feeders up by mid-April, mixing plain sugar-water nectar, and planting a mix of native bloomers gives these tiny migrants every reason to stick around — and to come back again next spring after their long trip north.