Short answer: southern Michigan can expect Ruby-throated Hummingbirds by about 20 April. Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula run about two weeks later, by about 5 May. Have a feeder up by around 20 April.
Michigan is one of the clearest examples of why a single state date is useless. Detroit and Marquette are not in the same spring. The Upper Peninsula belongs with Minnesota and Ontario, not with the rest of the state.
By region
| Part of Michigan | Typical first arrival | Feeder up by |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Lower Peninsula (Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo) | by 20 April | 10 April |
| Northern Lower Peninsula | around late April | 20 April |
| Upper Peninsula | by 5 May | 25 April |
What you will see
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and in practice nothing else through the breeding season. Males arrive about a week before females, so the first bird at your feeder is almost always a male scouting territory.
When they leave
September through early October for most of the state. The far north empties first. Adult males start south as early as August, long before the weather turns — they are not leaving because it got cold.
Practical timing
- Hang a clean feeder by 10 April in the south, 25 April in the north. Males arrive roughly a week ahead of females, and the first bird through is scouting. An empty feeder on that day is a yard he does not come back to.
- One part white sugar to four parts water. No red dye, no honey, nothing else. See the nectar recipe.
- Keep it clean. In warm Michigan weather, change the nectar at least twice a week — every other day is better once it gets hot.
- Leave it up about two weeks after your last sighting in fall. The late birds are usually stragglers from further north, not your summer regulars.
A note on the lakes
Both peninsulas are moderated by the lakes, which hold spring back along the shorelines. Inland southern counties tend to see birds a few days before lakeside towns at the same latitude. If you are right on Lake Michigan or Lake Huron, lean to the later end of your region’s window.
Keep reading
- Hummingbird arrival dates for every state
- How to help backyard birds through a cold snap
- How to make a hummingbird garden from scratch
Sources
- National Audubon Society — When to Expect Hummingbirds at Your Feeders and Flowers This Spring
- Avian Report — regional arrival and departure analysis drawing on Cornell Lab of Ornithology range data, eBird records and banding studies
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute — nectar recipe and feeder guidance
Last reviewed: October 2026. These are typical windows, not fixed dates — first sightings shift by a week or more with the weather. We are building the 2027 map from reader reports, so if you see one, tell us the date.