Hummingbird Migration
What You May Not Know About Hummingbird Migration
Given the size of a hummingbird, it is sometimes hard to comprehend that this tiny bird takes part in a hummingbird migration every spring and fall. For anyone who lives in northern climates where it gets cold and snowy, you might see hummingbirds at your feeder more in the fall when they are preparing to go south. Hummingbirds have to gain around forty-percent of their body weight before beginning the long trek to the south for the winter.
Another incredible fact about hummingbird migration is that each individual hummingbird migrates alone. Every hummingbird has his or own special fly zone that they use every time they migrate whether it be their first trip or their last one. Hummingbirds are solitary creatures and this seems to extend into hummingbird migration. You might see a group of hummingbirds in the sky at the same time but they are not together as a group. It is similar to a bunch of commuters driving the same route to their workplace every day but each in his own vehicle.
Some people say that if you don’t bring your feeder in before hummingbird migration, they will stay because of the food you provided, and then die in the winter from the cold temperatures. There is really no proof of this happening. But no one really has any idea why hummingbirds migrate or why each one goes where he goes. It is a similar situation to monarch butterfly migration--a delicate living thing flying so far twice each year is still pretty much a mystery.
Scientists believe hummingbird migration is based on the changing daylight hours as well as the fact that flowers and insects are disappearing. During their migration they still have to stop and eat and it’s good when they can find feeders for a quick meal. Hummingbirds are known to fly at very low heights on their migration--being seen just above the trees or just above water.
Different species of hummingbirds have also been known to have similar migration routes. For example, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird flies over the Gulf of Mexico. That means that they travel 500 miles across water without being able to land or eat. The general migration is from as far as Alaska to Central America in the fall and back via the same route in the spring. These little hummingbirds amazingly fly around twenty miles every day. The Black-chinned Hummingbird’s route is from British Columbia to Mexico and vice-versa.
Hummingbirds are among the most popular backyard birds, and many people hang hummingbird feeders in their windows so they can better watch their antics. The next time you see one of these seemingly fragile little birds, think about the spirit and endurance it has to fly thousands of miles alone twice every year.