Taking Care of Hummingbirds in Winter & Cold Weather

Watching hummingbirds and their charming acrobatics can add so much joy to our lives. But what if the weather turns very cold?  How can we take care of hummingbirds in the coldest of seasons, in winter?


Even though hummingbirds are wild birds, we connect with them as they visit our communities, neighborhoods and gardens where they feed on nectar from flowers and feeders.  Caring for hummingbirds can easily turn into worries as we see the thermometer drop lower and lower…. as snowflakes start falling from the sky…

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While it’s March now and we know spring’s around the corner, this question has popped up so many times in the hummingbird group I started on Facebook, that I thought I’d reach out to Ivan Phillipsen to provide you with his thoughts on taking care of hummingbirds in winter.  Hopefully, we've had the worst of the cold weather but you just never know since last week was so very cold where I live! 

Before I share his thoughts with you, I’ll tell you a bit more about him. Ivan is a passionate naturalist with a background in scientific research. He holds an M.S. in biology from Cal State San Bernardino and a Ph.D. in zoology from Oregon State University. He shares his knowledge of birds through his fun, enjoyable podcast “The Science of Birds.”  He’s also the co-owner of a birding ecotour company called Wild Latitudes which allows you to travel to beautiful places while learning about the nature, animals and birds you encounter.

Photo provided by Ivan Phillipsen

Now let's get to our question!

“I have hummingbirds that have been staying around my home all winter. Shouldn’t they be going south to warmer places?”


“Anna's Hummingbird and perhaps a couple other North American hummingbird species have expanded their ranges northward in recent decades. This is probably due to multiple factors, including the availability of sugar water in backyard feeders.


The northern populations of these hummingbirds occasionally experience very cold or freezing weather. Since they are relatively recent immigrants, they may not have had time to adapt physiologically to the cold via natural selection.”

“So… how do I best care for these hummingbirds in winter?”

“If you have some hummingbirds that live in your yard year-round, and you feed them in winter, it's best to keep feeding them every day through the cold months. The key is to be consistent. You don't want to randomly stop feeding these birds, who have probably come to depend on your feeders, to an extent. 

Cold weather is especially demanding. Hummingbirds have high metabolisms and cold weather requires that they burn even more calories than they do in milder weather. Even one cold day without food could be fatal to a hummer.

In spring and summer, there are flowers available as alternative food sources. But in winter, northern hummers get most of their food from our feeders (and from a few exotic flowers that bloom at weird times).”

Anna's Hummingbird in Winter Tree

“What else is important to know about feeding hummingbirds during the coldest time of year?”

“Monitor your feeder to make sure the liquid solution doesn't freeze solid overnight. You can bring it in after sunset each night and put it back out before dawn. Some people, I've heard, set up heating systems outside to keep the liquid from freezing. You could also try insulating the container holding the liquid.

As always, it's important to regularly clean your feeder. Replace the sugar water every 2-3 days and clean the feeder at the same time.“

Thank you so much for your thoughts, Ivan!  

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If you’re interested in birds, you can find more information about Ivan’s podcast “The Science of Birds” on this website or look it up wherever you enjoy listening to your podcasts.  Information about his upcoming nature tours and joining his travel groups to learn more about nature can be found on this website for his birding ecotour company Wild Latitudes.

Have you been taking care of the hummingbirds around your home in winter?  If so, what region do you live?  Would love to hear from you in the comments!

If you love hummingbirds and enjoyed this post, I’d really appreciate if you share it via the social media buttons below.  Sharing would help more people find this information about taking care of hummingbirds in winter.  


Thank you very much!
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