Timing derived from eBird data, 2016–2025 (sourced Aug 2026)

Indiana runs a fairly compact hummingbird calendar for its size — one breeding species that sweeps in from the south over about three weeks, a busy late-summer peak, and a quiet winter stretch that most years produces one real visitor worth watching for. Here's how the year actually unfolds, county by county.

The short answer: mid-April in southern Indiana, mid-May in the north, and most are gone again by late October.

New to feeding hummingbirds? Start with our guide to attracting hummingbirds in Indiana for species, feeders, nectar, and native plants. This page is the timing deep dive.

Indiana's Hummingbird Season at a Glance

Before the county-by-county detail below, here's the whole season in two pictures — Ruby-throated's full-season curve, and the one winter visitor worth watching for, shown at its own scale since it's a small fraction of Ruby-throated's numbers.

How often each species turns up on eBird checklists, week by week — statewide, 2016–2025. The regional breakdown below shows exactly when that wave reaches your part of the state.

Regional Arrival Snapshot

Windows derived from eBird bar chart data (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), 2016–2025, for Marion, Allen, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh, and Monroe counties. "First arrivals" is the first week reporting rises clearly above the winter baseline; "reliably common" is the first week each county's reports reach 25% of that county's seasonal peak. Unlike some larger states, the spread here is modest — about three weeks separates the earliest county (Vanderburgh, in the far south on the Ohio River) from the latest (the two northern counties).

Late March – Mid-April: The First Scouts

These are scattered early individuals, not yet a reliable population — but it's worth having a feeder up in far-southern Indiana by this point.

Mid-April – Mid-May: The Wave Moves North

This is Indiana's real spring story: Ruby-throated becomes reliably common in a rolling wave that starts in the far south and takes about three weeks to reach the northern counties. If you're in Fort Wayne or South Bend, don't be discouraged if your feeder sits quiet into early May — that's normal here.

Late May – Late July: Nesting Season

Indiana's breeding Ruby-throateds settle in and nest statewide. Feeder activity can taper off somewhat as females become secretive around the nest, though it never goes fully silent.

Late July – October: Southbound Migration

This matches Purdue Extension's description of fall migration running from late July through October and occasionally later.

November – March: The Quiet Season, With One Regular Exception

By this point in the year, any hummingbird at an Indiana feeder is worth a closer look. Rufous Hummingbird accounts for the large majority of those — Amos Butler Audubon Society records put it well ahead of any other western vagrant in the state, with roughly 80 accepted Indiana records against a single record each for Anna's and Black-chinned Hummingbird. Our own data shows a real, if brief, early peak in September — likely migrants passing through rather than settling in — before activity dips through most of October. The regular winter presence generally builds from late October into November, and it's not unusual for one to linger into December, January, or later. A small number of Ruby-throateds skip migration entirely and overwinter in Indiana as well, rather than heading to Mexico or Central America.

Pop's tip: Indiana doesn't reward keeping a feeder up in winter with regular hummingbird traffic the way the Gulf Coast does — but it does occasionally reward patience with a Rufous, or rarely something rarer still. Keep at least one feeder up through the cold months if you like a bit of birding lottery with your coffee.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do hummingbirds come back to Indiana?

Mid-April in the far south, and about three weeks later in the north. Vanderburgh County (Evansville) sees the first scouts by mid-April; Allen (Fort Wayne) and St. Joseph (South Bend) counties typically follow last, in mid-May.

When do hummingbirds leave Indiana?

Southbound movement starts in late July, and most breeding Ruby-throateds are gone from the state by late October. Rufous Hummingbirds can pass through as early as September, but the regular winter presence typically builds from late October into November.

How long do hummingbirds stay in Indiana?

Roughly six months for the breeding population, from mid-April arrival in the south through late October departure. The season runs a few weeks shorter in the north, where they arrive later.

Why is my Fort Wayne or South Bend feeder quiet in late April?

Because the wave hasn't reached you yet. Ruby-throated becomes reliably common in the northern counties by mid-May — about three weeks behind Evansville. A quiet feeder in late April is normal in northern Indiana.

Should I keep a feeder up through an Indiana winter?

It won't bring regular traffic the way the Gulf Coast does. But most years produce a Rufous Hummingbird report or two statewide, and rarely something genuinely rare — Indiana has one documented Black-chinned Hummingbird record and one Anna's.

How We Built This Calendar

We pulled eBird bar chart data for Indiana statewide and for five counties — Marion (Indianapolis), Allen (Fort Wayne), St. Joseph (South Bend), Vanderburgh (Evansville), and Monroe (Bloomington) — covering 2016 through 2025, and read the seasonal shape and regional pattern directly off the reporting rates ourselves. Percentages describe how often a species appears on birdwatchers' submitted checklists — a measure of how likely you are to encounter one, not a population count.

Sources

• eBird bar chart data, Cornell Lab of Ornithology — Indiana statewide and county-level (Marion, Allen, St. Joseph, Vanderburgh, Monroe), 2016–2025. Source for all month-by-month seasonal figures and the south-to-north regional arrival pattern.
• Purdue University Extension, FNR-249-W, "Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Yard" (Brian K. Miller and Brian J. MacGowan). Source for statewide arrival/departure timing corroboration.
• Amos Butler Audubon Society. Source for Indiana's historical rarity record counts.

Event dates and formats change from year to year. Check organizer websites before making plans.

Want feeder setup, nectar ratios, and native plant picks for your part of the state? See our full guide to attracting hummingbirds in Indiana.