How to Help Backyard Birds After a Hurricane

The short answer

• Fill feeders in the days before the storm, then bring feeders, baths and hooks inside once a tropical storm or hurricane warning is posted. Audubon warns that feeders become projectiles in hurricane winds.
• Put nectar and seed feeders back as soon as the wind has died down and it is safe to go out. Add orange halves and a fat food.
• Keep feeding for months, not days. Hurricane winds strip flowers, fruit and seed, and one review found flowers and fruit still under half of normal more than a year after a storm.
• With no power, mix nectar fresh each day in small batches, using water that is safe for you to drink. A fridge stays cold for only about 4 hours with the door shut.
• Throw out any seed or sugar that floodwater may have touched, unless it was sealed in a waterproof container. Empty, scrub and bleach a bath before refilling it.

To help backyard birds after a hurricane, take your feeders, bath and hooks inside before the wind arrives. Put them back as soon as the wind has died down and it is safe to go out, then keep feeding for weeks to months. The storm strips the flowers, fruit and seed that birds were eating, and that food comes back slowly.

Apart from the bath, that is the National Audubon Society's advice from 2012, and it is right. What it leaves out is the detail: when "before" starts, what to do with no power, and how long "months" is.

What counts as a hurricane, and why food is the problem#

A hurricane is a tropical storm that has grown strong. The National Hurricane Center defines it by wind: sustained winds of 74 mph or more, while from 39 to 73 mph it is a tropical storm.

For most land birds, the greatest stress comes after the storm passes. That is the finding of a 1993 review by James Wiley and Joseph Wunderle in Bird Conservation International. The winds that strip leaves also strip flowers, fruit and seed, and the review names birds that eat nectar, fruit or seed as the most at risk. Insect eaters do better, because insects bounce back sooner than plants. So the foods a hurricane removes are the foods a feeder holds.

A storm walked through, day by day#

Take a yard on the upper Texas coast. Suppose a hurricane comes ashore on September 10, which is the peak date of the Atlantic season according to the National Hurricane Center. Suppose the power is out for five days and the town issues a boil water notice.

Two days out. A tropical storm warning is posted, which the center's glossary says means winds of 39 to 73 mph are expected within 36 hours. The feeders are filled one last time. Audubon advises stocking up and putting feeders out in the days before a storm.

The day before. Everything that can fly comes in: feeders, the bath basin, shepherd's hooks and any pole that lifts out of a ground sleeve (see poles, hooks and hangers). Audubon warns that feeders become projectiles in hurricane winds. Ready.gov says to bring in outside furniture, and a bath basin is the same kind of object.

The morning after. The wind has dropped, the yard is a mess, and nothing is blooming. The nectar feeder goes up first. Mid September is the peak of fall hummingbird migration on the Texas coast, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory reports. Those birds are fattening up for the trip south, and the storm has just taken their flowers.

There is no fridge, so there is no stored nectar, and the fix is a small daily batch: a quarter cup of white sugar in one cup of water. The water is boiled for one minute, as the boil water notice requires, and cooled before it goes in. A seed feeder goes back up too, with orange halves on a nail nearby.

After that. Nectar is changed daily in the heat, seed is checked after each rain, and the feeders stay full until wild food comes back. On the Gulf Coast the nectar feeder stays up into November anyway, as hummingbird feeder timing explains.

The timeline, from warning to recovery#

How long "months" really is#

Audubon says extra food may help for up to several months after a major hurricane, and the Wiley and Wunderle review backs that up with field records.

• One month after Hurricane Hugo in 1989, flowers and fruit had dropped sharply on study trails in Puerto Rico, and at one site they were gone.
• More than a year after Hurricane David hit Dominica in 1979, flowers and fruit were still under 50 percent of their level before the storm.
• In Florida, a 1950 report cited in the review found a hurricane badly damaged acorn and other seed crops. The large canopy trees, usually the best producers, were hit hardest.

The review also found hungry birds on the move. Some wandered far outside their usual range in search of food, into farms and towns, while others crowded around the few plants that kept their fruit.

Your own yard is the gauge to use. Keep feeding until you see flowers, berries and seed heads again, then taper. Feeding through that stretch does not make birds dependent on you. Feeder food is one source among many, as do birds depend on feeders lays out, and harsh conditions are exactly when it helps.

What to put in the feeders#

Audubon's list is seed, suet, citrus and nectar. Three of them need a small change in hurricane season heat.

Seed. Black oil sunflower is taken by more feeder birds than any other single seed. Fill feeders with a few days' worth at a time, not a full load, because damp seed molds and a storm leaves everything damp.

Fat. Audubon names suet, but plain suet should come down once daytime highs pass about 70 °F, because it softens and smears. In the heat of an August or September storm, use no-melt dough, which holds its shape into the 90s F. The limits are on suet for birds.

Citrus. Cut an orange in half across the middle, set it cut side up, and above 85 °F replace it every day. The full routine is on fruit and jelly for birds.

Nectar with no power#

Audubon suggests making extra nectar ahead "if you have a place to keep it cool." A power cut takes that place away: the FDA says a closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours. The two-week fridge life on the nectar recipe page depends on a fridge that works. Once the power has been out longer than that, treat the jar as nectar to use today or pour away.

The simpler plan is not to store nectar at all. Mix plain white sugar and water at 4:1, with no dye, and make one cup each morning. The nectar calculator scales the recipe to any batch. In heat over 90 °F, nectar in the feeder needs changing daily anyway.

Water is the other catch. The FDA says to use only water from a safe source for preparing food. Under a boil water notice, use bottled water, or boil tap water for one minute and let it cool. Outside a notice, boiling is optional, as the recipe page explains.

Wet seed and flooded storage#

Floodwater is not just water, and Ready.gov warns it can carry germs, chemicals and waste.

The FDA rule for human food is blunt: if floodwater may have touched food, throw it out, unless it was in a waterproof container. Snap lids and screw caps do not count, and neither does a lid that just presses on. The rule is written for people, but it fits bird food well, and it means the metal can that storing birdseed recommends is not flood proof. If water rose over it, the seed goes, and so does a bag of sugar.

Seed that only got damp from rain is a different case, so look for clumps first, then fuzz or a sour smell. Damp seed grows Aspergillus, a mold that causes a lung infection in birds that is usually fatal. The signs and the cleanup are on moldy seed.

Clean water when the bath is fouled#

A bath that held floodwater, or sat in it, needs more than a refill. Tip it out away from the bath and scrub it with a stiff brush. Then disinfect it with one part bleach to nine parts water for ten minutes, rinse it well and let it dry in the sun. That is the deep clean on bird baths and water.

Refill it with water that is safe for you to drink, which under a boil water notice means bottled or boiled water. Feeders that sat in mud or debris get the same bleach soak, as set out in how to clean a bird feeder.

Hummingbirds on the Gulf Coast in September and October#

The worst timing in the bird year sits on the Gulf Coast. The National Hurricane Center says most Atlantic storms come between mid August and mid October. The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory says Ruby-throated Hummingbirds pass through the Texas coast from August through October, with the peak in mid September.

Those two windows match almost exactly. A storm then strips flowers just as the migrants arrive to refuel, and the observatory can have hundreds on its grounds at once. Some fly straight across the Gulf, and the observatory notes they can double their body weight with fat in a matter of days to make that trip.

So the nectar feeder is the first thing back up. The observatory advises cleaning hummingbird feeders every few days in the heat. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird profile covers the rest of its year.

What this page does not cover#

This page is about backyard feeders and baths, and it does not cover rescue. Audubon reports pelicans, herons and egrets stranded on roads after storms. A hurt or stranded bird needs your state wildlife agency or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, not a feeder.

Your own safety comes first, so follow local officials on when it is safe to go outside. Ready.gov warns that downed power lines can electrify standing water, so never wade to reach a feeder pole. Damaged hooks and poles can be fixed later, using feeder repair and maintenance.

Finally, the "months" figures come mostly from tropical forests, and they show that food loss can last a long time, not how long it will last in your yard.

Frequently asked questions#

Should I take my bird feeders down before a hurricane?

Yes. Audubon's advice is to bring feeders in before the storm intensifies, because feeders can become projectiles in hurricane-force winds. A practical trigger is the official warning. A tropical storm warning means winds of 39 to 73 mph are expected in your area within 36 hours. Fill the feeders in the days before that, then take them in along with the bath, hooks and loose poles.

When can I put bird feeders back up after a hurricane?

As soon as the wind has died down and it is safe to go outside. Audubon says to rehang hummingbird and seed feeders in their normal spots at that point and to set out citrus and suet. Safe matters more than soon. Ready.gov warns that downed power lines can electrify standing water, so never wade to a feeder pole.

How long should I keep feeding birds after a hurricane?

Plan on weeks to months. Audubon says extra food may help for up to several months after a major hurricane. A 1993 review of hurricane studies found flowers and fruit still under half of their usual level more than a year after one Caribbean storm. Taper when flowers, berries and seed heads come back in your own yard, not on a set date.

How do I keep hummingbird nectar fresh with no power?

Do not try to store it. The FDA says a fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours if it stays shut, so a made batch loses its fridge life soon after the power goes. Mix a small batch each day instead: a quarter cup of white sugar in a cup of water is the same 4:1 ratio. Use bottled or boiled water if your area is under a boil water notice.

Is bird seed safe after a flood?

Not if floodwater may have touched it. The FDA tells people to throw out any food that is not in a waterproof container if there is any chance floodwater reached it. Snap lids and screw caps do not count as waterproof, so a seed can or bin that stood in water is a loss. Seed that only got damp from rain needs checking for clumps and mold before it goes in a feeder.

Sources and further reading

1. Hurricane Disaster Relief for Birds: What to Expect and How to Help (Melanie Driscoll, 9 Nov 2012) National Audubon Society Stock seed, suet, citrus and sugar; bring feeders in before the storm intensifies; rehang once winds die down; extra nectar if you can keep it cool; feeding may help for up to several months
2. The effects of hurricanes on birds, with special reference to Caribbean islands (Wiley and Wunderle 1993, Bird Conservation International 3:319-349) USDA Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry Winds strip flowers, fruit and seed; nectar, fruit and seed eaters most vulnerable; flowers and fruit under 50% more than a year after Hurricane David; birds wander into residential areas
3. Glossary of NHC Terms NOAA National Hurricane Center Hurricane 74 mph or more; tropical storm 39 to 73 mph; tropical storm warning within 36 hours
4. Tropical Cyclone Climatology NOAA National Hurricane Center Atlantic season June 1 to November 30, peak September 10, most activity mid August to mid October
5. The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are Back in Town! (Sue Heath and Celeste Silling, 2022) Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Fall migration August through October, peak mid September on the Texas coast
6. Ruby-throated Hummingbird Fall Migration (Celeste Silling, 2023) Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Birds can double their body weight with fat in days before crossing the Gulf
7. Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods US Food and Drug Administration Fridge cold about 4 hours unopened, full freezer about 48 hours; discard food not in waterproof containers after flood contact; boil water 1 minute
8. Hurricanes Ready.gov, US Department of Homeland Security Bring in outside furniture; floodwater can carry pathogens, chemicals and waste; downed lines can electrify water