Farewell Hummingbirds – Migration Has Begun!
Backyard birdwatchers have spent the spring and summer amused by the antics of the ruby-throated hummingbirds. While their activity appears as carefree as summer itself, these birds have been in preparation for migration, an arduous task that begins in late summer.
Hummingbirds Leave Back Yards in Late Summer
The cycle of arriving in spring and leaving late summer is more than just coincidence. These birds show up, sometimes in droves, at our backyard feeders to begin preparing for their migration. They are getting ready to head south to their winter homes.
You could almost consider your feeder a resting station, like one you may stop at during a long journey in your car. These hummingbirds are literally making a pit stop to refuel so they can continue their way south for the winter months.
See also: Make Your Backyard a Stopover Site for Fall’s Migrating Birds
Source: Jan Timmons
See also: Vagrant Birds: Why Some Migrating Birds Get Lost
The weather—and the amount of fat the hummingbird has already stored—will determine how long it will remain at your backyard feeder. It’s not uncommon for this bird to spend only a week replenishing its fat reserves, but it can also remain for several weeks.
Come late summer you will begin to see the numbers of hummingbirds at your feeder diminish. If you’ve noticed movement as early as July, most likely those travelers are ruby-throated hummingbirds from the Midwest or even Canada, starting their migration in July.
How Hummingbirds Prepare for Migration
Like other cycles in a bird’s life that are triggered by changes in seasons, the migration of the ruby-throated hummingbird in the fall is prompted by the decline in the day’s length. As the days grow shorter, chemical changes occur in the hummingbird’s body, creating an overwhelming need to eat.
See also: Does Feeding Birds Hinder Migration?
This frenzy of binge eating helps prepare these birds for the energy-expensive journey ahead. Each migrating bird must store enough food for this enormous trip. The hummingbird will need to increase its body weight by 25-40%.
To understand the enormity of this feeding frenzy, think of a 178-pound man gaining 70 pounds. Not only is the amount of weight gained huge, but the bird’s capability to gain it at a rapid pace is astonishing. These minuscule birds accumulate fat and become so swollen in size that their usual quick and effortless maneuvers become more difficult.
How You Can Help Migrating Hummingbirds
- Plant native flowers that attract hummingbirds to complement your feeders with a natural food source
- Provide nesting materials during spring migration
- Keep hummingbird feeders clean to prevent the spread of disease
- Keep hummingbird feeders hanging until late fall so even stragglers are able to feed for migration
When to Take Down Hummingbird Feeders
When the day comes that your feeder has emptied and the last of the hummingbirds have left, you might be thinking about removing the feeder. First, be sure that the hummingbirds have left for good. Likely, all the birds are indeed already migrating. But, if you remove your feeder before the last of the hummingbirds have migrated, they will find another feeder and may not return to yours next year.
See also: 6 Native Plants That Will Attract Hummingbirds to Your Regional Garden
Instead, consider maintaining your feeders until the first frost. When freezing becomes an issue, it’s a safe time to take down your hummingbird feeder. You should empty the nectar from your feeder, if any is left. Wash the feeder, dry thoroughly, and store it in a cool dry place.
An Orderly Departure
You might be surprised to learn that there is order as hummingbirds depart your backyard feeder for migration. Adult males are the first to leave. Adult females typically leave after all the male hummingbirds have left. Like so many occurrences in nature, there is logic behind this practice.
By leaving before both the females and immature birds, the males do not have to compete for whatever fading flowers are left. Nor will they have to compete for other dwindling food sources. This gives immature birds enough time to gain necessary fat stores before they begin their arduous migration journey south–most for the very first time. This staggered departure also allows for more food to be accessible along the migration trail.
Hummingbird Migration Facts
Ornithologists believe the hummingbird migrates at a speed of roughly 25 miles-per-hour. Hot air balloonists claim to have seen ruby-throated hummingbirds flying south at up to five hundred feet from the ground.
The ruby-throated hummingbird’s migration appears to almost be an effortless event. These petite birds migrate 23 miles a day. However, to make that flight, it must beat its wings a startling two point seven million times.
See also: What You Should Know About Fall Migration
In order to do have enough energy for migration, the hummingbird must carry the necessary fat reserves. Males can carry enough fat to fuel a flight lasting up to twenty-six hours. The female, if she’s large, will store enough fat to fly for 24 hours. During migration, they can travel from 600-640 miles.
Attract Hummingbirds with Feeders Next Season
Backyard feeders, as well as nectar plants, play a crucial role in helping these birds survive migration as they provide a vital source of the food needed for fat stores.
Next spring you will be ready to greet these jewel-like visitors as they descend upon your yard once again, knowing what an amazing trip they have endured to get to you.
