Every year, the ruby-throated hummingbird embarks on an incredible journey across North America. These small birds, which can fit in the palm of your hand, travel over 2,000 miles between their breeding grounds in Canada and the United States to their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America.
The migratory path of the ruby-throated hummingbird forms a giant loop that takes them across mountains, deserts, forests, and more. In this blog post, we will explore the migration route of these birds, the challenges they face along the way, and how we can support them on their extraordinary journey.
Key Takeaways:
- Migration Route and Timing: Ruby-throated hummingbirds travel over 2,000 miles annually between North America and Central America. Their migrations align with seasonal changes.
- Factors Influencing Migration: Migration is influenced by food availability, weather conditions, and daylight. These birds use landmarks, stars, and magnetic fields for navigation.
- Preparation and Challenges: Before migrating, ruby-throated hummingbirds build up fat reserves and undergo physiological changes. They face obstacles such as food scarcity, predators, and severe weather.
- Support and Monitoring: We can aid their migration by providing nectar, shelter, and planting native flowers. Monitoring techniques help track their migration patterns.
Where Do Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Migrate To?
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the primary breeding hummingbird in most of eastern North America. They spend their summers throughout the United States east of the Great Plains and across southern Canada. The majority of the population winters in Mexico and Central America.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird’s Spring Migration Route and Timing
As early as February, ruby-throated hummingbirds begin leaving their winter grounds in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Panama to start their northward journey back to their breeding range. The first arrivals reach the Gulf Coast states of Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida in late February or early March. Throughout March and April, they continue to push northward, following the blooming of spring flowers and newly leafed trees. By May, they have reached the northern limits of their range across Canada and the upper Midwest.
Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds Fall Migration Route and Timing
In late summer, adult ruby-throated hummingbirds start departing from their breeding grounds, followed by juveniles and females in August. The southbound fall migration follows a more direct inland route through Texas and Mexico into Central America. Peak migration occurs in September as cold weather descends across Canada and the northern United States. By late October, the majority of the birds have reached their wintering grounds in Mexico, with some stragglers reported into November.
What Factors Influence Their Migration?
Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate in response to seasonal changes in flower availability, weather conditions, and daylight. They time their migration to take advantage of flower blooms along their route, as nectar is their primary energy source. They depart the breeding grounds when food becomes scarce and arrive at the wintering grounds when flowers are plentiful. Colder temperatures and potential snowstorms in the north drive the birds south in the fall, while warming spring temperatures and rainfall trigger their return north. In addition to using landmarks, these birds utilize celestial cues from stars and the earth’s magnetic field to orient themselves on migration.
How Do They Prepare for the Journey?
Before embarking on their arduous migration, ruby-throated hummingbirds make special preparations. They build up fat reserves in the weeks leading up to migration, nearly doubling their body weight. This fat provides the energy needed to fuel their long journeys. Their heart and flight muscles grow larger, while their digestive system shrinks. Young hummingbirds likely memorize key migration routes and landmarks during their first journey north as fledglings. Adults undergo brain changes, indicating navigation preparation.
Challenges Faced During Migration
During their spring and fall migrations, ruby-throated hummingbirds face numerous threats and challenges. They need to find reliable sources of nectar and shelter along their route. Poor weather can reduce food availability. Predators such as hawks, falcons, spiders, and praying mantises pose a threat, especially when the birds stop to refuel. Severe weather conditions like storms, high winds, and precipitation can blow them off course or pose deadly risks. Competition with other hummingbird species for food at stopover sites adds pressure, and natural barriers like the Gulf of Mexico require excellent navigation skills. Artificial light pollution can also disorient migrating birds.
Monitoring Hummingbird Migration
Scientists employ various techniques to track ruby-throated hummingbird migrations and gain a better understanding of their journeys. These techniques include bird banding, citizen science programs where people report sightings, radar studies that detect major movements, feather analysis to determine migration origins, and genetic studies to analyze migration patterns between populations.
Supporting Ruby-Throats on Their Journeys
There are several ways we can support ruby-throated hummingbirds during their migration. Providing nectar through feeders filled with a sugar-water mixture can offer critical energy. Keeping tree branches or shrubs near feeders provides cover from predators. Reducing threats such as keeping cats indoors, using hummingbird-safe pesticides, and turning off lights at night can help. Planting native nectar flowers like bee balm, columbine, and trumpet vines in gardens supports migrating hummingbirds. Reporting sightings and unusual observations to programs like Journey North or the hummingbird banding program contributes to tracking their migration patterns.
Remarkable Ruby-Throat Abilities
Ruby-throated hummingbirds possess remarkable abilities that make their migration even more astounding. They can beat their wings up to 53 times per second, enabling them to fly backwards and hover mid-air. Relative to their size, they nearly double their body weight before migration, storing fat for energy. Their heart rate can reach over 1,200 beats per minute during flight, and they take over 250 breaths per minute at rest. Despite their small size, they are one of the toughest migrants in the animal kingdom, burning up to 10,000 calories a day and flying nonstop 500-mile journeys over the ocean.
Conclusion
The yearly migratory journey of ruby-throated hummingbirds is truly remarkable. These tiny birds overcome numerous obstacles to return to their breeding grounds each spring, and we eagerly await their arrival. By understanding their migration routes, challenges, and abilities, we can better support them on their extraordinary travels. The first high-pitched buzz of a ruby throat zipping by our heads signals the return of these incredible migratory wonders to our backyards and gardens.