Fall Migration Has Started for One of Your Favorite Backyard Birds

Enjoy the colorful hummingbirds zipping around your backyard while you can. The fall migration is about to start for the beloved ruby-throated hummingbirds that frequent the central and eastern portions of the U.S. during the warm summer months. Here is a look at this migration pattern.

Migration Underway for the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

The ruby-throated hummingbirds are about to embark on their annual fall migration in search of warmer climates. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the birds typically migrate south across North America between March and May, spending the warmer months flitting around backyards.

The birds then head south again when the temperatures start to drop in North America, seeking warmer weather in Central and South America. Some of the birds that had been living in the northern reaches of the U.S. have already started their journey to the south. The migration will be in full swing by the end of September as the cooler temperatures settle in across the U.S.

By the beginning of October, the birds may only be hanging around the immediate portions of the Gulf Coast. Most of the ruby-throated hummingbirds will have left the mainland U.S. by the end of October in search of warmer and sunnier weather.

As their name implies, the ruby-throated hummingbird is distinguished by the plume of red feathers below the beak. However, only males have the ruby-feathered throat. Females and juvenile hummingbirds have a white throat.

What to Do to Prepare Your Yard for the Hummingbird Fall Migration

If you live in an area in the path of the migration, now is the time to prepare your yard to welcome the temporary visitors on their way south. People who want to attract hummingbirds to their outdoor space typically do so by installing specially designed feeders. It is recommended to use one part refined white sugar to every four parts of water in these feeds.

The solution should be mixed until the sugar is completely dissolved. While it may be tempting to add food coloring to the mix for a more colorful feeder, this should be avoided as it could hurt the birds.

Avian experts also recommend regularly monitoring the feeder. The sugar water mixture can spoil in just a few days in times of hot and sunny weather. A milky or opaque mixture is a sign that it has gone bad and should be tossed. Be sure to thoroughly clean the feeder before filling it again. It is crucial to regularly clean the feeders during migration season so that the traveling birds do not spread illness or disease.

Knowing when the hummingbirds are expected in your neck of the woods is important if you want to keep your feeder stocked and ready for the visitors. However, these species of birds are just one of hundreds of animals in flight that migrate across North America this time of the year.

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