Where Do Hummingbirds Go in Winter? A Quebec Migration Guide

Every year, the ruby-throated hummingbird that spent the summer in your backyard sets out on one of the most demanding journeys in the animal kingdom: a flight of over 3,000 km to Central America, including a nonstop crossing of nearly 800 km across the Gulf of Mexico — no rest stops, no landing, no food. A bird that weighs barely 3 grams.

Here's what actually happens when hummingbirds leave Quebec, and how to know the right time to help them before they go.

When do hummingbirds leave Quebec?

The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the only hummingbird species seen in Quebec. Males leave first, usually by mid-August, followed by females and the year's juveniles throughout September. Most hummingbirds have left the province by mid-September, but stragglers — often birds that nested further north and are just passing through — can still be seen through late September or even early October.

Unlike many bird species, hummingbirds migrate alone. Juveniles don't follow their parents south; they leave separately, guided purely by instinct.

Where do hummingbirds go for the winter?

Their destination: southern Mexico down to Panama, where they'll spend the winter before making the return trip in spring. To get there, a large share of ruby-throated hummingbirds cross the Gulf of Mexico in a direct, nonstop flight — 18 to 22 hours over open water. Others go around the Gulf via the Texas coast. Either way, the bird has to fuel up first: by gorging on insects and spiders in addition to nectar, it can go from about 3.25 grams to over 6 grams in just a week — nearly doubling its fat reserves, an energy store essential to making the crossing.

Myth-busting: should you take the feeder down early?

A common belief holds that feeders should come down by late August to "force" hummingbirds to leave, out of fear of delaying their migration. That's false. Food availability doesn't appear to be what triggers migration — shortening daylight hours are believed to play a key role. Leaving a clean, full feeder up has never delayed a healthy hummingbird's departure.

If anything, keeping your feeder active for one to two weeks after your last sighting of the season can genuinely save the life of an exhausted straggler passing through your area on the way south.

How to help hummingbirds before their big departure

• Keep the feeder clean and the nectar fresh (change it every 2–3 days in hot weather).
• Stick to the classic ratio: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water, no dye. See our full hummingbird nectar recipe →
• Don't take the feeder down until one to two weeks after your last sighting of the season.
• If you grow tubular flowers (bee balm, jewelweed, salvia, cardinal flower, penstemon), let them bloom as long as possible — a natural nectar source that complements the feeder well.

The next hummingbird that heads back to Mexico with a little more in reserve thanks to your yard is a hummingbird with better odds of making the trip.