Delaware may be the second-smallest state in the country, but don't let its size fool you — it sits squarely on one of the busiest hummingbird migration corridors on the East Coast. Every spring and summer, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds stop, feed, and nest in yards, parks, and wildlife refuges across the First State, making even a small backyard here a meaningful stopover on a much bigger journey.

Whether you're gardening in Wilmington, Dover, or along the coast near Rehoboth Beach, this guide will walk you through everything you need to turn your space into a Delaware hummingbird destination: when to expect them, how to size your setup to any space, feeder and nectar care, pest-safe cleaning, and the native plants and wildflower seed varieties that thrive in Delaware's climate.

The short version, if you're in a hurry:

To attract hummingbirds in Delaware, put up a leak-proof feeder filled with fresh, dye-free nectar by early April, keep it clean and refilled every 1–6 days depending on heat, skip the insecticide so hummingbirds can still hunt insects for protein, and plant native, nectar-rich flowers like columbine, red buckeye, and cardinal flower so your yard offers real food alongside the feeder.

• Best feeder type: leak-proof design with a comfort perch, like the AspenPerch® Hummingbird Feeder
• Best nectar: plain 4:1 water-to-sugar ratio, no red dye — or Pop's Nectar with added electrolytes and calcium
• Feeder timing: up by early April, ready for arrivals that can begin as early as March
• Nectar change frequency: every 1–2 days above 90°F, every 5–6 days below 70°F
• Pest control: no insecticide — use vinegar-water spray and HummGuard™ nectar tips instead
• Top native plants: columbine, red buckeye, trumpet honeysuckle, cardinal flower, bee balm (varies by region — see below)
• Best wildflower planting window: October through November, for spring bloom timed to spring migration

Which Hummingbirds You'll See in Delaware

Delaware's hummingbird scene centers on one dependable breeder, with the occasional rare visitor keeping birders on alert. Here's what you're most likely to see:

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Delaware's only regular, native breeding hummingbird species, found in yards, parks, and wildlife refuges statewide. Males show off a brilliant iridescent red throat, while females carry plain white throats. They favor woodland edges and gardens with a mix of nectar sources and nesting cover.

A few western species, most often Rufous Hummingbird, are occasionally reported in Delaware during late fall or winter. These are genuine rarities rather than an annual pattern, so any sighting is worth documenting and reporting to eBird.

When Do Hummingbirds Arrive and Leave Delaware?

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive across Delaware within a fairly consistent window each spring:

Pop's tip: Put your feeder out by early April so it's ready for the first migrants passing through, and keep it up until at least early October — many Delaware birders simply leave feeders up until about two weeks after their last sighting. Migration is driven by day length and internal cues, not feeder availability, so there's no risk in keeping the nectar flowing a little longer than you think you need to.

Attracting Hummingbirds No Matter Your Space

You don't need acres of land to invite wonder into your yard. Hummingbirds are famously adaptable — all they're really looking for is a dependable food source, a safe place to perch, and a little color.

• Small patio or balcony: One feeder hung from a bracket or shepherd's hook, paired with a container of red or orange tubular blooms like scarlet sage, is plenty to get noticed. Hummingbirds are solitary feeders by nature, so a single feeder works great in tight spaces.
• Average backyard: Add a mix of feeders and native blooms along a fence line or garden bed, and give your visitors a swing or two nearby to rest and survey their territory between sips.
• Large yard with trees: Take advantage of the shade. Hummingbirds prefer feeders and plantings tucked out of harsh, direct afternoon sun, with a nearby branch to perch on and watch for rivals. Spread multiple feeders far apart, since hummingbirds are territorial and will happily chase each other off a single feeder.

Feeding: Keep It Full, Fresh, and Leak-Free

A feeder is only as good as what's in it — and how well it's kept. Pop's AspenPerch® Hummingbird Feeder is leak-proof by design and paired with our patented Polyperch® comfort perch, so your hummingbirds can rest and feed at the same time instead of hovering the whole meal.

A few feeding fundamentals:

• Only fill what they'll drink in a few days. An 8 oz feeder rarely needs to be topped all the way off — overfilling just means more nectar sitting around long enough to spoil.
• Skip the red dye. Your feeder's color does the attracting; dyed nectar offers no benefit and isn't necessary.
• Use a real nectar recipe, or save yourself the math with Pop's Nectar, formulated with added electrolytes and calcium to support hummingbirds through the demands of nesting season and migration — no dyes, no preservatives.

How Often to Change Nectar in Delaware

Sugar water ferments faster the hotter it gets. Use this as your rule of thumb:

If the nectar ever looks cloudy before that window is up, change it early — cloudiness means it's already started to ferment.

Keeping Feeders Clean (and Pests Away) Without Insecticide

Hummingbirds don't live on nectar alone — small insects make up a big part of their protein diet, especially for feeding chicks. That means insect spray is off the table around your feeding station; it removes a food source hummingbirds depend on and can be harmful to them directly.

Instead:

• Clean your feeder every time you change the nectar, using warm water and a bottle brush — no soap residue, no bleach. A little vinegar and water solution works great for breaking down sticky buildup or the beginnings of mold.
• Deter ants and bees with a vinegar-water spray around (not on) the feeder ports, or wipe down the hanging hook where ants tend to march down.
• Use HummGuard™ nectar tips if bees and wasps keep crashing the party. They slide right onto the AspenPerch's feeding ports — the flexible membrane opens easily for a hummingbird's beak but closes tight against anything bigger, keeping your nectar exclusively for the birds it's meant for.

Give Them a Place to Rest

Hummingbirds spend a surprising amount of their day perched, not flying — watching their territory, digesting, and simply resting between feedings. A Pop's Original Hummingbird Swing hung near your feeder gives them exactly that spot, and it turns your feeding station into a front-row seat for watching them up close. Hang it within a foot or two of your feeder, and don't be surprised if a hummingbird claims it as their own personal lookout post.

Plant a Delaware Native Hummingbird Garden

Feeders are a wonderful supplement, but nothing beats real, native nectar. Native plants evolved right alongside Delaware's hummingbirds, so they bloom on the right schedule and produce exactly the nectar these birds are looking for.

Best native nectar plants for Delaware:

• Columbine — one of the earliest bloomers, timed almost exactly to Ruby-throated arrival
• Red buckeye — another reliable early-season nectar source
• Trumpet honeysuckle — long-blooming tubular flowers built for hummingbird bills
• Cardinal flower — brilliant red spikes in late summer, right when hummingbirds need fuel most for migration
• Bee balm — a reliable midsummer favorite that also draws butterflies

Pop's tip: Pairing an early bloomer like columbine or red buckeye with a late-season plant like cardinal flower gives your Delaware yard coverage from the very first spring arrivals through the last fall stragglers.

To make this easy, our Perfect Little Sanctuary® Wildflower Seed Blend is designed to bring nectar-rich color into your yard with minimal fuss.

When to Plant the Perfect Little Sanctuary® Blend in Delaware

Fall is the best planting window across Delaware — aim for October through November. This timing is based on the germination needs of the blend's own 12 varieties: 9 of the 12 either need or benefit from a cold, moist stratification period before they'll germinate well, including Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan, Perennial Lupine, and Lance-Leaved Coreopsis, and Delaware's winter cold does that work naturally. Early spring is a solid backup window if you miss fall.

Top Performers in Delaware

The Perfect Little Sanctuary® blend contains 12 varieties, and Delaware's confirmed native ranges point to a strong, mostly-native lineup, consistent with the rest of the Mid-Atlantic:

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) — native and a long summer-to-fall bloomer
• Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) — native, reliable and low-maintenance
• Lance-Leaved Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) — native, drought tolerant once established
• White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) — native, extremely low-maintenance once established
• Perennial Lupine (Lupinus perennis) — confirmed native to Delaware in official USDA distribution records
• Painted Daisy (Chrysanthemum carinatum) — not a Delaware native, but a dependable, heat-tolerant annual bloomer that rounds out the bloom season

Pop's tip: You don't need to do anything special to favor these — just sow the blend as directed. The rest of the mix still adds seasonal color, but these varieties are the ones that will do the heaviest lifting in a Delaware yard.

Summary: Key Takeaways for Attracting Hummingbirds in Delaware

Building a hummingbird-friendly yard doesn't take a green thumb or a big budget — just a little consistency and the right setup. Here's everything from this guide in one place:

• Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are Delaware's only regular breeding species, with rare western visitors like Rufous occasionally reported in the colder months
• Delaware sits on a major East Coast hummingbird migration corridor despite its small size
• Feeder timing: up by early April, ready for arrivals that can begin as early as March
• Any size space works — one feeder is plenty for a balcony; larger yards can support multiple feeders spaced apart, since hummingbirds are territorial
• Use a leak-proof feeder with a comfort perch, like the AspenPerch®, and fill it only as full as it'll be drunk in a few days
• Skip red dye in nectar; a plain 4:1 sugar-water ratio or Pop's Nectar (with electrolytes and calcium) both work
• Change nectar every 1–2 days above 90°F, up to every 5–6 days below 70°F
• Clean the feeder at every nectar change with warm water and vinegar — no soap or bleach
• Never use insecticide near feeders; hummingbirds rely on insects for protein. Use vinegar-water spray and HummGuard™ nectar tips for pest control instead
• Add a swing near the feeder to give hummingbirds a place to rest and be observed up close
• Native, nectar-rich plants (columbine, red buckeye, trumpet honeysuckle, cardinal flower) do more for hummingbirds long-term than feeders alone
• Sow wildflower seed in October–November for blooms timed to spring migration; Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan, Lance-Leaved Coreopsis, White Yarrow, and Perennial Lupine are the strongest Delaware performers in Pop's Perfect Little Sanctuary® blend

Get these basics in place, and the wonder takes care of itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

A few of the questions we hear most from fellow hummingbird lovers across Delaware:

When should I put my hummingbird feeder out in Delaware? Early April is a safe target statewide, since the earliest migrants can arrive as soon as March.

Do hummingbirds stay in Delaware year-round? No. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Delaware's only regular breeding species, are not year-round residents. A rare western species like Rufous may occasionally be reported at feeders in late fall or winter, but this isn't the norm.

Is it bad to leave my feeder up in fall? Not at all — it's a myth that a feeder left up will delay migration. Hummingbirds migrate based on daylight and internal cues, not food availability, and a full feeder just helps them refuel for the journey ahead.

How often should I clean my hummingbird feeder in Delaware? Clean it every time you change the nectar — as often as every 1–2 days when temperatures top 90°F, and at least every 5–6 days in cooler weather. Use warm water and a vinegar rinse rather than soap or bleach, which can leave residue.

What are the best plants to attract hummingbirds in Delaware? Columbine, red buckeye, and trumpet honeysuckle perform well across the entire state, with cardinal flower and bee balm as strong supporting choices. Native, tubular, red or orange flowers are the general rule of thumb.

Delaware Hummingbird Resources

Audubon Chapters

Delaware is home to local Audubon chapters. Find the one closest to you with Audubon's Find Your Local Audubon tool.

If You Find an Injured or Grounded Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are protected under federal and Delaware state law, so only a licensed wildlife rehabilitator can legally care for one.

• Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators (DCWRE) — the state's main rehabilitator network, established in 1995
• Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research — a well-known, respected bird-specific rehabilitation and research organization; call 302-737-9543

At Pop's Birding, we believe every backyard — big or small — has room for a little more wonder. Explore our feeders, nectars, swings, and wildflower seed blends to start building your own hummingbird sanctuary today.