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

Utah runs from Mojave-edge desert in the southwest to 13,000-foot peaks in the northeast, and hummingbird timing shifts by roughly six weeks across that span. St. George gets its first birds while the Uintas are still under snow — and in one corner of the state, the season never fully ends at all.

The short answer: the third week of March in St. George, the last week of April in the Uintas, and most of the state is empty again by mid-October. Washington County is the exception — Anna's stays all year.

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

Utah's Hummingbird Season at a Glance

Before the elevation-by-elevation detail below, here's the whole season in one picture — four species, four very different curves, shaped by how high up and how far southwest you are.

How often each species turns up on eBird checklists, week by week — statewide, 2016–2025. The elevation-by-elevation breakdown below shows how these same curves shift earlier, later, or turn into a year-round presence depending on where in Utah you are.

That statewide curve is really five very different elevation zones averaged together — where you land inside it depends on how high up, and how far southwest, you are. Here's the region-by-region detail, so you can see exactly where you fall.

Regional Arrival Snapshot

Windows derived from eBird bar chart data (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), 2016–2025, for Washington, Grand, Salt Lake, Garfield, and Summit counties. First arrivals reflect the earliest detected species in each region — Broad-tailed arrives first or ties with Black-chinned in every county sampled, even though Black-chinned remains the more numerous species by peak-season volume everywhere except the Uinta Mountains. No Utah agency publishes region-by-region arrival dates, so these windows are eBird-derived.

January – February: Not Quiet Everywhere

Across most of Utah, this is the off-season — no feeders needed, no birds expected. Washington County is a real exception, and a bigger one than you'd guess: Anna's Hummingbird shows up on 16–20% of checklists in the St. George area through the dead of winter — not a rare fluke sighting, but a consistent, common presence. It's still officially classified as a rare winter visitor statewide, but if you keep a feeder up year-round in St. George, you're very likely to see one.

Source: our own analysis of eBird bar chart data for Washington County, Utah, 2016–2025.

March: The Season Begins in the Desert

Broad-tailed Hummingbirds reach the St. George area by the third week of March, with Black-chinned arriving close behind by late March to early April. This is well ahead of the rest of the state — get feeders up in Washington County by late March if you want to catch the first arrivals.

April: The Wave Moves North and Up

By early April, Black-chinned Hummingbirds have reached Moab. By mid-April, they've reached Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Front, and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds are arriving in the high country — Bryce Canyon and Boulder Mountain typically see their first Broad-tailed by mid-to-late April, with the Uintas following in the last week of April into May. Costa's Hummingbird also arrives in the St. George area during this window, though it stays confined to that corner of the state.

May: Full Swing, Nesting Begins

By May, all of Utah's regular breeding species — Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, and Costa's in the southwest — are present and nesting is underway. This is peak feeder traffic across most of the state.

June: The Elevation Split Is in Full Effect

Lower elevations statewide are dominated by Black-chinned Hummingbirds. In the Uinta Mountains, Broad-tailed Hummingbird is now clearly the more frequently reported species. Around Bryce Canyon and Boulder Mountain, Black-chinned and Broad-tailed run nearly even. Nesting continues across the state. This is also the month when Anna's Hummingbird activity in St. George dips to its yearly low — still present, just quieter than the rest of the year.

July: The Southbound Wave Begins

Around July 1, Rufous Hummingbirds — carrying fat reserves built up on breeding grounds as far north as Alaska — begin passing through Utah on their way south. They're often aggressive at feeders, and this is also when the Red Canyon Lodge banding event (Dutch John, Uinta Mountains) is traditionally held each year — this year's event is confirmed for Saturday, July 18, 2026.

August: Peak Migration Traffic

Rufous migration continues through August, and Calliope Hummingbird — North America's smallest bird — begins its own southbound push through Utah's mountain corridors. This is often the single busiest month at a Utah feeder, with resident breeders, Rufous, and Calliope all present at once.

September: Last Call for Migrants

Rufous and Calliope wrap up their southbound migration through September. Breeding Black-chinned and Broad-tailed populations also begin departing, typically finishing by early October.

October: Closing Out (Except in St. George)

Most of Utah sees its last hummingbirds of the year in early-to-mid October. Washington County is the exception — Anna's Hummingbird stays put, and it's worth leaving a feeder up there through the winter.

November – December: Back to Quiet, With One Exception

The statewide season is over. In the St. George area, Anna's Hummingbird continues showing up on checklists through the winter, the same pattern that carries into January.

Pop's tip: If you only remember one thing from this calendar — Utah doesn't have one hummingbird season, it has two. A five-to-six-week rolling wave from St. George to the Uintas each spring, and a real, substantial winter presence in the far southwest — Anna's Hummingbird at 16–20% of checklists — that the rest of the state doesn't get at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do hummingbirds come back to Utah?

Broad-tailed reach the St. George area by the third week of March. From there the wave moves north and up: Moab by early April, Salt Lake City by mid-April, Bryce Canyon and Boulder Mountain by mid-to-late April, and the Uinta Mountains in the last week of April into May.

When do hummingbirds leave Utah?

Breeding Black-chinned and Broad-tailed begin departing in September and typically finish by early October, with most of the state seeing its last hummingbirds in early-to-mid October. Washington County is the exception — Anna's stays year-round.

Are there hummingbirds in Utah in winter?

In the St. George area, yes. Anna's Hummingbird appears on 16–20% of eBird checklists through December, January, and February in Washington County. Everywhere else in Utah the season is genuinely closed from November through February.

What is the busiest month for hummingbirds in Utah?

August. Resident breeders are still present, Rufous migration is in full swing, and Calliope has begun its own southbound push — three groups at the feeder at once.

Why do Rufous and Calliope show up so late in Utah?

Because they aren't arriving to breed — they're already migrating south. Rufous begins passing through around July 1, carrying fat reserves built up on breeding grounds as far north as Alaska, and Calliope follows in August and September.

How We Built This Calendar

We pulled eBird bar chart data for Utah statewide and for five proxy counties — Washington (St. George), Grand (Moab), Salt Lake, Garfield (Bryce Canyon), and Summit (Uintas) — 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 — Utah statewide and county-level (Washington, Grand, Salt Lake, Garfield, Summit), 2016–2025. Source for all month-by-month seasonal figures and the regional arrival gradient.
• Utah Bird Records Committee — official statewide species status and classifications.
• BLM/Hummingbird Monitoring Network banding program, reported by The Wildlife Society — source for the Red Canyon Lodge banding event and general timing corroboration.
• des Lauriers, J. R. (1994). Hummingbirds eating ashes. The Auk, 111(3), 755–756. doi:10.1093/auk/111.3.755 — source for the ash-eating observations and calcium interpretation in the May entry.

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 Utah.