When do hummingbirds start migrating

If you are a birder who loves watching hummingbirds every spring, then providing a consistent source of nectar is the ideal way to attract hummingbirds to your yard.

The tricky part is figuring out the best time to start feeding hummingbirds. Hummingbird season is different across the regions as weather patterns shift and bird migration periods are reliant on the climate and environmental factors.

Take a look at some ways to determine the best time to put out your hummingbird feeders so no nectar gets wasted and hummingbirds are fed.

While feeding birds can be a year-round joy, many hummingbirds are migratory. It isn't necessary to offer nectar when the birds aren't present. When considering the seasonal habits of hummingbirds, you will have to consider your region, its climate, and migratory patterns. Some southern and coastal regions of the United States and Mexico, as well as much of the Caribbean and South America, are home to hungry hummingbirds year-round.

In other regions, the best time to put out hummingbird feeders depends on the local hummingbird population and migratory patterns of specific species. Mild climates and warmer areas are attractive to hummingbirds in early spring. In those areas, it is best to start feeding hummingbirds earlier, so they always have a good nectar source to visit.

In areas with cooler temperatures and later springs, only bring out the feeders when it starts to warm up. Learning when hummingbirds migrate which differs between species is a great way to decide when to put out hummingbird feeders.

Sunlight is the most essential factor that determines the timing of hummingbird migration. As the light levels change seasonally, hummingbirds purposefully eat more, increasing their weight by 25 to 40 percent. Their weight gain gets them ready for flying long distances. If the birds are on the move, they will need good nectar sources for refueling and will readily visit clean, fresh feeders along the way.

For early migrants, the presence of a reliable feeder can make the difference for a successful migration when flowers aren't yet in full bloom. While the exact dates to put out hummingbird feeders can vary, these birds do tend to be reliable in their migration patterns and when they start visiting feeders. Offer hummingbird feeders all year long in areas where these birds are non-migratory or where overwintering hummingbirds join residents during the winter months.

Birders along the Pacific coast of the United States and southern British Columbia can feed hummers all year. The Rio Grande Valley area of south Texas and along the southern Texas coast, south and central Florida, and southeastern Arizona are also year-round hummingbird hotspots. This hardy bird is a permanent resident along the Pacific Coast, staying through the winter in many areas where no other hummingbirds are present. Anna's hummingbirds are found along the western coast of North America, from southern Canada to northern Baja California, and inland to southern and central Arizona, extreme southern Nevada and southeastern Utah, and western Texas.

They tend to be permanent residents within their range, and are very territorial. However, birds have been spotted far outside their range in such places as southern Alaska, Saskatchewan, New York, Florida, Louisiana and Newfoundland.

Anna's hummingbirds have the northernmost year-round range of any hummingbird. During cold temperatures, Anna's hummingbirds gradually gain weight during the day as they convert sugar to fat.

In addition, hummingbirds with inadequate stores of body fat or insufficient plumage are able to survive periods of sub-freezing weather by lowering their metabolic rate and entering a state of torpor. Broad-tailed hummingbirds migrate north in the spring leaving behind the non-migrant populations in central Mexico.

After breeding, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds start their south-bound fall migration into their winter range in the highlands of Mexico south to Guatemala. Calliope Hummingbirds primarily breed at high elevations in the mountains of northwestern United States and Canada into Alaska.

During spring and summer they travel through Arizona and New Mexico and northern Mexico, to winter in southwestern Mexico as well as in Guatemala and Belize. Costa's Hummingbirds are small North American desert birds that inhabit the western United States and Mexico, but are known to wander eastward and as far north as Alaska and Canada.

Their wintering areas include southern California south into Mexico. Hummingbird Fall Migration Hummingbirds are migratory creatures. The Fall Migration Triggers Although there are differing views in the birding community as to what triggers the start of fall migration, it is generally thought that hummingbirds sense changes in daylight duration, and declining numbers of flowers, nectar and insects. Making the Trip South Rain makes Ruby-throats thirsty! Scene at our yard, September 8, , approaching peak fall migration.

It's crowded, but one more in the top corner is trying to find a spot to feed. Common Name and Scientific Name. Ruby-throated Archilochus colubris Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate northward from Mexico or Central America, and begin showing up in the United States as early as January in the extreme southern states.

Rufous Selasphorus rufus Rufous Hummingbirds are wide-ranging, and breed farther north than any other hummingbird, even into southeastern Alaska. More about Rufous Hummingbirds. Black-chinned Archilochus alexandri The Black-chinned Hummingbird's breeding range stretches from southern British Columbia in Canada through Idaho and Nevada, south to northern Mexico, and from coastal California, Arizona through Texas, where they are relatively common spring and summer residents.

These hummingbirds have also been reported in a number of other states. More about Allen's Hummingbirds. More about Anna's Hummingbirds. Broad-tailed Selasphorus platycercus Broad-tailed hummingbirds migrate north in the spring leaving behind the non-migrant populations in central Mexico. More about Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. Calliope Stellula calliope Calliope Hummingbirds primarily breed at high elevations in the mountains of northwestern United States and Canada into Alaska.

More about Calliope Hummingbirds. They are closely related to the Anna's Hummingbirds. Ant Moat Amazon. I have several feeders so I can always keep at least one active while the others are being washed. This shows how to make hummingbird food with the correct ratio of sugar to water. Next 50 Perennial Flowers to Attract Hummingbirds. Privacy Policy. This site is spam-free.