Three cheers for spring! Winters in Pennsylvania can be rough, which means we’re always ready to welcome back the birds, the longer days, and the warm sunshine that spring brings with it. If you’ve been asking yourself, “when will hummingbirds come back to Pennsylvania,” wonder no more. Here’s everything you need to know about the arrival of these beautiful birds, but before you learn how to prepare for the hummingbirds in Pennsylvania, take a peek at some of the best hummingbird feeders.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds will soon arrive in Pennsylvania, after migrating from their winter homes in the south. The ruby-throated hummingbirds, in fact, are the only type of hummingbird found east of the Mississippi River.
Flickr/jecabello
Several southern states – Florida and Alabama, for example – begin to see the return of the hummingbirds, as they migrate from their winter homes in Central America, around the beginning of March.
Flickr/Eric Kilby
Are you looking forward to the return of the ruby-throated hummingbirds in Pennsylvania? Now's a great time to start preparing for their arrival.
Pennsylvanians, however, will have to wait a bit longer – late April for the southern part of the state and the beginning of May for the northern part. The hummingbirds generally remain in Pennsylvania through mid to late October.
Flickr/Dennis Church
Spring through early fall are the best times to see hummingbirds in Pennsylvania.
At just under four inches long, the ruby-throated hummingbird is tiny but mighty. In fact, they flap their wings an average of 53 times every second and fly up to 25 miles an hour.
Flickr/Tom Benson

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You can attract hummingbirds to your yard with a feeder. Experts at the National Aviary recommend getting your hummingbird feeder ready at the beginning of April.
Flickr/Shannon Tompkins
Find some of the best hummingbird feeders online before April, the best time to leave out hummingbird feeders in Pennsylvania.
While ruby-throated hummingbirds eat insects, they also eat the nectar from various flowers. (If you’re a gardener, you can even grow flowers for the hummingbirds.) However, you can also help out by providing sugar water.
Flickr/Amy Jutras
Sugar water should be four parts water and one part sugar. If you’re using cups, add one cup of sugar to four cups of water. Just use regular table sugar, and do not add red dye. While some say it attracts birds, it could also prove dangerous to them.
Flickr/garden beth
Experts recommend changing the sugar water every other day. When you change the water, clean the feeder, too. If you don’t, dangerous mold can build up, harming the hummingbirds.
Flickr/Mark Moschell
Keep your feeder out a few weeks after you’ve last seen hummingbirds in October, just in case a few stray hummingbirds fly through and need nourishment.
Flickr/OHFalcon72

Are you ready for the return of the hummingbirds in Pennsylvania? Do you feed them? Let us know in the comments! If you’ll be feeding the hummingbirds in Pennsylvania for the first time this year – or you want to upgrade your current feeder – check out some of the best hummingbird feeders.

Now’s a pretty good time to start planning your spring activities, too. Here are 11 must-visit outdoor destinations in Pennsylvania.

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Hummingbirds In Pennsylvania

Beth Price-Williams | February 20, 2023

What types of hummingbirds are in Pennsylvania?

The only type of hummingbird east of the Mississippi River, the ruby-throated hummingbird:

  • Generally arrives in late April in Southern Pennsylvania.
  • The northern part of the state usually starts seeing hummingbirds at the beginning of May.
  • The ruby-throated hummingbirds remain in Pennsylvania until they migrate south in October.
  • One of the best ways to enjoy the beauty of the hummingbird is to add a feeder to your yard.


When should I hang a hummingbird feeder in Pennsylvania?

If you want to attract hummingbirds in Pennsylvania to your yard, put a hummingbird feeder in your yard at the beginning of April. Some hummingbirds may arrive early. Traditionally, male hummingbirds arrive a few weeks earlier than females.

Leave the hummingbird feeder in your yard until a few weeks after you’ve last seen any hummingbirds. Hummingbirds in Pennsylvania usually stick around until mid-October, but you may see some later than that.

Is it safe to feed hummingbirds in Pennsylvania?

Yep, it is safe to feed hummingbirds in Pennsylvania. Here are some tips:

  • Do not use red dye. Red dye is harmful to hummingbirds.
  • The safest food for hummingbirds in Pennsylvania is sugar water (four parts water, one part sugar).
  • Your job doesn’t stop with filling the feeder. Make sure you change the water frequently – every other day maximum.
  • Clean the feeder before adding fresh sugar water. Failing to properly clean the feeder could result in mold growth, which is also harmful to hummingbirds in Pennsylvania.

If you don’t have a hummingbird feeder yet or want to add a new one to your yard, check out this collection of the best hummingbird feeders in Pennsylvania.

 

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