2 min readEveryone knows that we love hummingbirds at Country Living. From knowing where they go in the winter to the plants you can grow to attract them to your yard and, of course, all things hummingbird feeders, we go all in on these wee feathered friends. So needless to say, we are super excited that ruby-throated hummingbirds are on their way back north to their summer stomping grounds.
According to a map provided by the Mississippi State Extension Service, shared here in an Instagram post by AccuWeather, the first birds should appear in southern states as early as March 1! From then, they slowly make their way north across the eastern half of the country, reaching the northern states between late April and early May and southern Canada in early May. That’s pretty incredible given that they start their migration as far south as Central America!
While all the media buzz is currently the ruby-throated hummingbird migration, it’s not the only hummingbird that migrates in the U.S. For example, the rufous hummingbird, which winters primarily in Mexico, migrates to the Pacific Northwest and as far north as southern Alaska for the breeding season.
In some places such as the Pacific Coast or southern California, resident hummingbirds stay year-round. In some cases, that’s because of the mild winters, but not always. Anna’s hummingbird lives year-round as far north as the coastline of British Columbia, and it can survive light freezes by going into a state of torpor, which is akin to a mini-hibernation.
But if you’re like many people across the U.S., the return of beloved ruby-throats and other migrating hummingbirds is reason to celebrate. We hope you are as excited as we are and can’t wait to see all the birds buzzing around in no time!
If you’re wondering when to put your hummingbird feeder back out, check out our region-by-region guide.
What type of hummingbird do you see in your part of the country? Let us know.
