Hummingbirds are some of the most highly anticipated backyard birds, and every spring birders eagerly watch for the first arrivals of these flying jewels. Likewise, hummingbirds’ departures every fall are a surefire signal that summer has ended and fall migration is underway. Birders who know when hummingbirds migrate can be prepared with gardens filled with colorful blooms, feeders filled with fresh nectar, and other essentials to welcome every hummingbird.

Understanding Hummingbird Migration

There are more than 325 hummingbird species in the world, but most are found in tropical regions that meet the birds’ needs year-round, so there is little need for them to move between breeding and non-breeding ranges. Hummingbirds in northern areas, however, including most species in the United States and Canada, are frequent migraters and may travel hundreds or thousands of miles every spring and fall. These birds tend to travel during the day, flying only a few dozen feet high as they keep a sharp eye out for foraging opportunities along the way. At night, traveling hummingbirds find safe shelter and rest. What astonished birders and ornithologists both is the precise timing of hummingbird migration, and it isn’t unusual for these tiny birds to appear and disappear at their seasonal destinations on very predictable schedules, even arriving or leaving on the same days, or very close to the same days, each year.

Starting Migration

How do hummingbirds time their travels so precisely? These birds don’t keep calendars or have alerts about appointments and itineraries to keep them on schedule. Instead, they rely on the amount of daily sunlight and the angle of the sun to indicate when it is time to migrate. The availability of local natural food sources and current weather patterns also encourage migration at the same time each fall and spring. Even the birds’ age and gender help determine when they migrate, with mature birds migrating earlier than youngsters and most males taking flight before females. The destinations the birds must arrive at also impact when they migrate, and birds with much longer migration routes will be on the move long before hummingbirds with shorter migration distances.

When Exactly Hummingbirds Migrate

When all factors are considered, hummingbirds in distant locations with long travel routes may start spring migration as early as mid-February or March, and may not reach their northernmost breeding grounds until mid- or late May. Those same birds may then reverse their routes and begin their fall migration as soon as July or early August as they head south once again in order to reach their winter range by late September or October.
Hummingbirds with less demanding migrations, however, may not begin moving north in spring until April or even early May. They may arrive at their breeding grounds in just a few days or weeks, in late May or early June. Because their journeys are not as great, they may not start south again until late August or September, but will arrive at their wintering range in October or very early November.

Helping Migrating Hummingbirds

No matter which way the birds are heading or what time their migration may be, there are easy ways every birder can help hummingbirds along the way.

• Keep hummingbird feeders full so migrating birds always have a reliable food source for refueling. Consider using multiple feeders during peak migration.
• Clean nectar feeders regularly so no hummingbird is subjected to mold, fungus, or fermentation that could cause illness and hurt their migration efforts.
• Take steps to keep hummingbird nectar from freezing during spring cold snaps or early fall freezes, just when hummers need the supplemental nectar the most.
• Plant early- and late-blooming flowers for a renewable, recognizable source of nectar in bold colors that can help attract hummingbirds.
• Provide thicket-like pockets of plants that can help shelter tired hummingbirds. Thorny plants can help provide an extra layer of protection against possible predators.
• Use other tactics, such as bright colors in the yard or the sound of bubbling water, to attract passing hummingbirds and alert them to available food and shelter.

Knowing when hummingbirds migrate is the first step to attracting these beautiful birds and not missing a day of their company throughout the season, from their spring arrival to their fall departure.