Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures. These tiny birds can flap their wings up to 80 times per second, allowing them to hover in midair and fly backwards. Hummingbirds are also champion migrators, with some species traveling thousands of miles every year between their summer breeding grounds and winter homes.
During these epic journeys, hummingbirds must find food sources along the way to fuel up. They get most of their energy from drinking nectar from flowers using their long, specialized beaks and tongues. This is where backyard bird feeders come in handy! Fill them with sugary “nectar” made from mixing white granulated sugar with water, and hummingbirds will happily drink up.
Do hummingbirds remember feeders from previous migrations?
Scientists wondered: when migrating hummingbirds stop at a feeder to refuel, do they remember that location and purposefully return to that feeder year after year? Or are they just randomly discovering feeders along their migration route each time?
Researchers investigated this question by banding hummingbirds visiting feeders, so they could recognize individual birds that returned to the same feeders across multiple years. They found that hummingbirds do indeed remember and revisit feeders season after season. One male Ruby-throated Hummingbird returned to the same Alabama feeder for 11 straight years!
Studies suggest hummingbirds rely on excellent long-term memory to recall quality food sources. Their tiny brains can retain vivid information about locations and routes. Scientists theorize this mental mapping system has evolved to help hummingbirds survive their strenuous migrations of up to 2,000 miles.
How do hummingbirds navigate back to the same locations?
Scientists are still working to understand all the mechanisms hummingbirds use to navigate with such pinpoint accuracy. Here are some of the ways researchers believe hummingbirds find their way back to favorite feeders year after year:
- They remember specific landmarks around the feeder, like trees, buildings, or mountains.
- They rely on the sun as a compass for general direction.
- They may sense Earth’s magnetic field to help orient themselves.
- They follow familiar environmental cues like coastlines, rivers, or valleys.
Scientists have tested hummingbirds’ navigation abilities using specially designed experiments. For example, captured hummingbirds were transported in windowless containers for several hours to displace them from their territory. Shockingly, many returned home within days from release points they had never been to before, suggesting they have an internal map and compass guiding them.
Why do hummingbirds return to the same feeders?
Hummingbirds clearly have an impressive ability to remember locations across thousands of miles. But why do they bother returning to the exact same feeders rather than exploring new ones along their route? Here are some of the main reasons hummingbirds exhibit what scientists call “site fidelity”:
- They know that feeder is a reliable source of energy.
- They are familiar with potential predators in that habitat.
- They want to reclaim a prime feeding territory.
- For males, returning helps ensure mating with the same females.
By returning to a productive and safe habitat, hummingbirds can save energy and reduce risks as they pursue their ultimate goals of survival and reproduction. However, some younger hummingbirds may branch out and try new locations to better their odds.
How many times do hummingbirds migrate in a year?
Most hummingbirds in the United States and Canada complete two main annual migrations. Here is the typical schedule:
- Spring migration, March – May: Hummingbirds fly north from Mexico and Central America to their summer breeding grounds in the U.S. and Canada.
- Fall migration, August – November: Hummingbirds head back south to spend winter in warmer climates with ample flowers and food.
A few fun facts about hummingbird migration:
- Ruby-throated hummingbirds travel between Panama and the Eastern U.S. The smallest migration route is “just” 500 miles.
- Rufous hummingbirds complete the longest migration, flying up to 3,000 miles between Alaska and Mexico.
- Hummingbirds fly nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico, a 500 mile journey taking 18-22 hours.
- Males start migrating first so they can claim the best breeding territories.
How can I attract migrating hummingbirds to my yard?
You can make your yard an enticing rest stop for migrating hummingbirds in the spring and fall by following these tips:
- Set up feeders before hummingbirds arrive and keep them freshly filled.
- Use a nectar mix of 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water. Boil and cool before filling feeders.
- Select brightly colored red or yellow feeders to attract attention.
- Plant native flowers, shrubs, and trees that hummingbirds love. Good choices are bee balm, trumpet vines, lantana, and azaleas.
- Provide a water source like a fountain, mister, or bird bath for drinking and bathing.
- Avoid using pesticides that could be harmful if hummingbirds ingest nectar.
With some planning and patience, you may be rewarded with a visiting migrating hummingbird that remembers and returns to your feeder year after year!
Amazing facts about hummingbird migration
Here are some incredible facts and feats about the phenomenal migration of hummingbirds:
- The smallest bird species, the Calliope Hummingbird, weighs less than a nickel but migrates 5,000 miles roundtrip.
- Hummingbirds fly an average of 25-30 miles per hour. But they can hit up to 60 mph during courtship dives.
- Their tiny wings beat up to 200 times per second and rotate in a figure 8 pattern for agility.
- Hummingbirds are the only birds able to fly backwards due to specialized shoulder joints.
- Their rapid metabolism requires eating every 10-15 minutes and consuming double their weight daily.
- Extremely high metabolism may allow hummingbirds to enter a hibernation-like torpor state to conserve energy.
- They prefer to migrate across land but boldly traverse vast waters like the Gulf of Mexico nonstop.
- Many hummingbirds spend winters as far south as Costa Rica and Panama.
These characteristics make hummingbirds ideally adapted for the rigors of migration over thousands of miles. Their incredible memory allows them to find their way time and time again with incredible accuracy.
Key research findings on hummingbird memory and migration
Here is a summary of important scientific discoveries about the amazing migration abilities of hummingbirds:
Research Finding | Description |
---|---|
Hummingbirds remember favorite feeder locations | Studies show hummingbirds regularly return to the same feeders across multiple years, indicating they remember specific locations. |
They have excellent long-term memory | Hummingbirds remember routes and locations accurately for months or years between migrations due to strong spatial memory. |
They rely on the sun for orientation | Hummingbirds use the location of the sun as a simple compass to determine directions during migrations. |
They may sense the Earth’s magnetic field | Hummingbirds appear to have a magnetic compass sense to help them orient themselves even on cloudy days. |
They follow environmental cues and landmarks | Rivers, mountains, coastlines and other landmarks guide hummingbirds on established migration paths. |
Young hummingbirds may explore new areas | While most hummingbirds show site fidelity, young birds establish new territories which promotes range expansion. |
Understanding how hummingbirds navigate their epic migrations still has many open questions waiting to be answered by scientists. But advances in tiny tracking devices and experiments on captive hummingbirds are gradually shedding light on their secrets of memory and navigation.
Conclusion
Research clearly demonstrates that hummingbirds have astonishingly accurate spatial memories that allow them to return to the same feeders year after year on their seasonal migration routes. They depend on these critical nectar sources to fuel their grueling multi-thousand mile journeys between their breeding and wintering grounds. Scientists believe hummingbirds evolved this complex navigation system over millennia in order to survive the vast distances they travel between habitats twice each year. Unlocking the mysteries of how these tiny birds accomplish these incredible migrations remains an area of active research today. The more we can learn about hummingbird navigation, the better we can support their habitat needs across both their summer and winter ranges.