Quick Answer
No, hummingbirds do not stay in Minnesota during the winter. Hummingbirds migrate south to warmer climates before winter sets in.
Overview
Hummingbirds are small, colorful birds that are found across North America during the warmer months. However, hummingbirds cannot survive cold winters, so they migrate south to warmer climates like Mexico, Central America, and the southern United States each fall. Minnesota’s harsh winters make it an unsuitable habitat for hummingbirds. By the end of August, most hummingbirds have left Minnesota and traveled south. Very few, if any, hummingbirds stay in Minnesota through the winter.
Hummingbird Migration Patterns
There are over 300 different species of hummingbirds found across the Americas. In the United States, the most common varieties are the Ruby-throated Hummingbird on the East Coast and the Rufous Hummingbird in the West.
Hummingbirds follow established annual migration patterns:
- Spring – In late February and early March, as flowers begin to bloom, hummingbirds start heading north from Mexico and Central America where they spent the winter.
- Summer – By May, hummingbirds have reached their northern breeding grounds in the U.S. and Canada, including Minnesota. They spend the summer in northern climates where food is plentiful.
- Fall – Starting in August, food becomes scarce as flowers die off. Hummingbirds begin their southern migration back to their winter grounds. By late September, the majority have left northern states like Minnesota.
- Winter – From December to February, most hummingbirds are in their warm winter grounds in Mexico or farther south. Very few hummingbirds spend the winter in the southern U.S.
This migration of thousands of miles allows hummingbirds to follow the seasonal abundance of flower nectar and insects from the southern U.S. to Canada and back.
Do Any Hummingbirds Stay in Minnesota in Winter?
While most hummingbirds migrate south well before winter, a very small number of stragglers may linger into the fall in Minnesota. However, it would be extremely rare for a hummingbird to actually spend the entire winter in Minnesota.
There are a few reasons why wintering over would be highly unusual:
- Lack of food – Hummingbirds depend on nectar from flowers and small insects to survive. However, flowers die back and insects become scarce and inactive in the cold Minnesota winter.
- Freezing temperatures – Hummingbirds are not equipped to handle below-freezing temperatures. They can go into torpor overnight to conserve energy, but cannot survive extended freezing cold.
- Lack of shelter – Hummingbirds build small, thin nests that provide shelter in warmer months but would offer no protection from the elements in winter.
Without adequate food sources, shelter, and insulation from freezing temperatures, hummingbirds simply cannot survive in Minnesota through the winter.
Latest and Earliest Sightings
While no hummingbirds overwinter in Minnesota, some may linger a bit later in fall or arrive earlier in spring:
Fall Migration
The vast majority of hummingbirds leave Minnesota by late September. However, a few stragglers may stick around into October or early November in some years:
- On average, the last Ruby-throated Hummingbird is spotted in Minnesota around October 3.
- The latest ever recorded sighting was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird spotted in Ramsey County on November 21, 1970.
These late hummingbirds are likely juveniles on their first southward migration. They may get slowed down by lack of fat reserves or thrown off course by warm fall temperatures.
Spring Migration
While hummingbirds generally arrive in Minnesota in May, some early scouts can show up as early as March if flowers are already blooming:
- On average, the first Ruby-throated Hummingbird is spotted in Minnesota around May 13.
- The earliest recorded sighting was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird spotted in Washington County on March 23, 1987.
These early arrivals are mature adult males, eager to stake out the best breeding territories farther north. However, a late cold snap could prove dangerous to hummingbirds returning too soon.
Providing Winter Hummingbird Feeders
Given how unlikely it is for hummingbirds to actually spend winter in Minnesota, maintaining active feeders during this cold season is not recommended.
However, if you happen to spot a lost or confused hummingbird in your yard in late fall or winter, here are some tips:
- Make sure to clean and fill any hummingbird feeders, even if you’ve already stored them for winter. Use a simple 1:4 ratio of white sugar dissolved in hot water.
- Consider moving feeders to a more protected area, like under an eave or covered porch. This provides some shelter from the elements.
- Use a hummingbird feeder heater to ensure nectar does not freeze in cold temperatures.
- Provide extra feeders to give the bird more feeding opportunities.
- Alert experts about the sighting so they can monitor the bird’s condition and chances of survival.
With quick action to provide food and shelter, an individual lost hummingbird may be able to survive a short period of time. But winter feeders alone won’t enable the bird to stay for the entire winter. The goal is to sustain it until it reorients southward.
Indicators that Hummingbirds Have Left the State
Here are some signs that hummingbirds have finished migrating from Minnesota for the winter:
- Seeing fewer and fewer hummingbirds coming to your feeders in August and September.
- Not spotting any hummingbirds for a week or more by late September.
- Noticing remaining hummingbirds are often behaving strangely and seem confused.
- Finding dead or dying hummingbirds that likely didn’t have enough fat reserves to migrate.
- Having flowers and natural food sources die off after first frost.
- Experiencing prolonged freezing temperatures overnight.
Once nights become freezing cold and most flowers are dead, Minnesota can no longer support hummingbirds. The absence of hummingbird sightings indicates they have sensibly migrated south.
How Far South Do Hummingbirds Go?
When they leave Minnesota in late summer or early fall, most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will migrate across the Gulf of Mexico to Mexico and Central America.
Some key migration destinations include:
- Southern Mexico
- Panama
- Costa Rica
- Belize
- Guatemala
In these southern climates, hummingbirds can find the tropical flowers, nectar sources, and insects they depend on.
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird has one of the most impressive migration routes of all birds. They travel an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 miles each way during spring and fall migrations. Their tiny bodies remarkably make a nonstop, 18-24 hour flight over the Gulf of Mexico to cross 500 miles of open water.
Throughout the winter months, most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are believed to occupy a relatively small region of southern Mexico and Central America near the mountains. However, some younger birds may wander farther south into South America.
Banding and tracking studies have confirmed that the same individual hummingbirds often return to the exact same breeding grounds in Minnesota year after year. Their navigational abilities during migration are stunning given their tiny size.
How Do Hummingbirds Survive Cold Nights?
Hummingbirds have an ingenious method for surviving cold nights even when they remain in northern climes over the summer.
Torpor is a state of decreased physiological activity and temperature. It’s similar to short-term hibernation. When nighttime temperatures drop, a hummingbird’s heartbeat and metabolism slow down drastically. This allows it to conserve energy and survive on limited food.
By entering torpor, a hummingbird’s body temperature can drop from 105°F to as low as 48°F. Their heart rate slows from 500 beats per minute down to just 50-180 beats per minute. Their breathing also slows.
This torpid state lasts until sunrise when the hummingbird warms its body up again and resumes its hyperactive feeding.
However, torpor only works as an overnight solution. Hummingbirds cannot survive extended freezing weather or lack of food through sustained torpor. That’s why migration is so crucial to their survival through harsh northern winters.
Unique Hummingbird Adaptations for Cold
Hummingbirds have some unique evolutionary adaptations that allow them to thrive in cold conditions better than other small birds:
- Small body size – A smaller body loses heat more slowly than a larger body. Hummingbirds cool down and warm up quickly thanks to their tiny size.
- High metabolism – Even at rest, hummingbirds have very rapid metabolisms and heart rates that generate internal heat.
- Insulating feathers – Hummingbirds have soft, fluffy down feathers that trap heat effectively.
- Thermoregulation – Hummingbirds can shiver extensively to warm up by burning fat. They can alter blood flow to extremities to conserve core heat.
- Sugar consumption – The sugar in nectar provides ready energy that fuels heat generation.
- Cold-induced torpor – Entering torpor allows hummingbirds to conserve energy on cold nights.
While these adaptations help hummingbirds handle cold weather for a period, they cannot enable the small birds to survive the sustained subzero temperatures of the Minnesota winter.
How Do Ornithologists Track Hummingbird Migrations?
Ornithologists have learned a great deal about hummingbird migration routes and timing by banding the birds and tracking their movements.
Some methods include:
- Leg bands – Tiny bands placed around a hummingbird’s leg with a unique ID number. Someone who recaptures or finds the bird dead can report the band number.
- Radio telemetry – Tiny radio transmitters attached like a backpack allow researchers to remotely track migration routes.
- Stable isotope analysis – Analysis of hydrogen isotopes in feathers helps determine a hummingbird’s geographic origins.
- Citizen science – Birdwatchers submit first arrival dates and hummingbird sightings to databases like eBird and Journey North.
Technology like nanotag tracking and genetic sequencing may yield new insights into migration patterns and wintering grounds. But banding hummingbirds to gather mark-recapture data has provided the foundation of current scientific understanding.
What Do Hummingbirds Eat in Winter?
Hummingbirds have a very specialized diet centered around sugary flower nectar and small insects like gnats or fruit flies.
During winter in Mexico and Central America, hummingbirds seek out continuous sources of their favorite foods:
- Nectar – Tropical flowers like orchids, bush lilies, and passionflowers provide readily available nectar.
- Insects – Gnats, mosquitoes, and other small insects are abundant year-round in tropical climates.
- Sugar water feeders – Local residents often put out feeders to help sustain wintering hummingbirds.
- Tree sap – Hummingbirds will sip from holes bored in trees by woodpeckers.
- Spiders and webs – Spider webs contain small bits of insect protein that hummingbirds pick out.
There is no need to stockpile food before migration. Hummingbirds can rely on finding continuous flower nectar, their primary energy source, across their entire range.
How Do Hummingbirds Know When to Migrate?
What signals tell hummingbirds it’s time to embark on an epic migration journey?
Hummingbirds appear to rely on a mix of internal and environmental cues:
- Changing length of daylight – Increasing daylength in spring and decreasing daylength in fall triggers migration.
- Hormonal changes – Fluctuations in hormones like corticosterone help stimulate migratory restlessness.
- Availability of food – Scarcity of nectar-producing flowers or insects motivates departure.
- Cold temperatures – Arrival of freezing weather prompts migration.
- Genetic predisposition – Migratory behavior seems innate, not learned. Hand-raised birds still migrate.
Researchers believe mature adults migrate first so they can claim the best nesting sites. Young birds follow later. But what directs hummingbirds along their migration route remains somewhat mysterious. Their navigational ability is impressive.
Fun Facts About Hummingbirds
- A hummingbird’s wings beat up to 200 times per second – making the distinctive humming noise.
- Their rapid wing-flapping enables hummingbirds to fly in any direction – even upside down!
- Hummingbirds consume up to 2-3 times their body weight in nectar each day to power their metabolisms.
- Their long, specially adapted tongues can lap up nectar at a rate of 13-17 licks per second.
- Hummingbirds are the only birds able to hover in place by rapidly beating their wings forwards and backwards.
- They have very weak feet and legs – so they can perch but can’t walk or hop.
- To conserve energy at night, hummingbirds go into torpor – a mini-hibernation where heart rate and temperature drop.
- Hummingbirds are found only in the Americas – none live in Europe, Asia, Antarctica, or Australia.
These energetic little birds punch above their weight with an impressive array of adaptations! Their migratory abilities are especially remarkable.
Conclusion
In conclusion, hummingbirds do not stay in Minnesota or anywhere in the upper Midwest throughout the winter months. These tiny birds migrate astonishing distances to overwinter in warm tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, and sometimes South America.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrive in Minnesota by May to breed and summer in the state. But by late September, flowers are dying off, insect numbers are declining, and freezing nights make survival impossible. So the hummingbirds embark on a 2,000 mile journey south across the Gulf of Mexico.
Very few, if any, hummingbirds attempt to overwinter in Minnesota. They depend on a continuous food supply and moderate temperatures to survive. While hummingbirds have some intriguing adaptations to handle cold, they cannot endure subzero temperatures and deep snows. So these long-distance migrants vacate the state each winter, only to return again the following spring. Their navigational precision is admirable.
Hummingbirds symbolize the arrival of summer in Minnesota with their return each May. Watching them hover at nectar-filled flowers has delighted birdwatchers for generations. While we must say goodbye in the fall, we can look forward to these small wonders gracing our gardens again next year.
