Hummingbirds are amazing little birds that can hover in midair and fly backwards. Their wings beat incredibly fast, up to 80 times per second! This allows them to fly long distances during migration. Every year, many species of hummingbirds migrate from North America down to Central America and South America for the winter. The ruby-throated hummingbird makes one of the most incredible migratory journeys of any bird its size, traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles each way. But exactly how long does it take a hummingbird to fly all the way to South America from its breeding grounds? Let’s take a closer look at the flight speed, migration routes, stopover periods, and other factors that affect their migration timing.
Flight Speed
Hummingbirds are faster than you might expect for their tiny size. They have been clocked flying at speeds over 30 miles per hour. However, they cannot maintain top speed for very long and usually fly around 10-15 mph during migration. This would equate to a distance of about 250-375 miles covered in a day of continuous flying. Of course, hummingbirds cannot fly nonstop all day and night.
Stopovers to Rest and Refuel
Hummingbirds need to stop periodically to rest and refuel. During migration, they will stop at flowers to feed on nectar and insects every 15-30 minutes during the day. At night, they go into a deep, energy-saving sleep state called torpor. Migration occurs over multiple legs, stopping to rest and eat all along the way. These stopovers typically last a few days in each location. Hummingbirds require habitats along their migration route that provide enough food and shelter. Developing those stopover habitats is critical to migration success.
Routes from North America to South America
There are a few major migration routes that hummingbirds traveling from the U.S. and Canada take to reach their overwintering grounds in Mexico, Central America, and South America:
Across the Gulf of Mexico
Some hummingbirds take an ambitious shortcut across the Gulf of Mexico from the Gulf coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida to reach Mexico and further south. For example, ruby-throated hummingbirds fly nonstop over 500 miles across the Gulf to the Yucatan Peninsula. This takes 18-24 hours of continuous flight. Island stopovers and offshore rigs provide important rest stops. Still an incredible feat!
Overland through Mexico and Central America
Many hummingbirds follow an overland route down through Mexico and Central America to Panama. They go overland rather than risk an open water Gulf crossing. This provides more opportunities to stop and refuel but is a much longer trip. For example, rufous and Allen’s hummingbirds migrating from the Pacific Northwest to Mexico travel about 3,900 miles overland each way.
Across the Western Caribbean
Some western hummingbirds migrate south via an ocean crossing of the western Caribbean Sea from the Yucatan Peninsula to South America. For example, ruby-throated hummingbirds fly over 500 miles nonstop across the Caribbean Sea from Mexico or Belize to Panama or Colombia. This water crossing takes 18-24 hours.
Duration Examples for Specific Routes
Now let’s look at some estimated migration durations for a few common hummingbird routes between North America breeding grounds and South American overwintering areas:
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Breeding range: Eastern North America
- Winter range: Central America to northwestern South America
- Fall migration duration: About 2 months
- Spring migration duration: About 2.5 months
For ruby-throats wintering in Panama, the fall migration is around 4,000 miles and takes 2 months. Spring migration is longer at 5,000 miles and 2.5 months.
Rufous Hummingbird
- Breeding range: Pacific Northwest
- Winter range: Mexico to northwestern South America
- Fall migration duration: About 2 months
- Spring migration duration: About 3 months
Rufous hummingbirds breeding in Alaska may migrate around 5,000 miles in fall and 6,000 miles in spring. Their migrations take 2-3 months each way.
Allen’s Hummingbird
- Breeding range: California
- Winter range: Mexico
- Fall migration duration: About 5-6 weeks
- Spring migration duration: About 2 months
Allen’s hummingbirds wintering in Mexico have a quicker fall migration of 1,500 miles taking 5-6 weeks. Spring is a longer return at 2 months for 2,000 miles.
What Affects Migration Duration?
The duration of a hummingbird’s migration depends on many factors, including:
Distance Traveled
The further the migration route, the longer it takes. For example, Calliope hummingbirds breeding in Alaska and wintering in Mexico migrate around 5,500 miles each way.
Geographical Barriers
Open water crossings like the Gulf of Mexico require long nonstop flights. Mountains like the Rocky Mountains also pose challenges. Going around these barriers lengthens migration.
Number of Stopovers
Minimizing stopovers speeds migration but requires more energy. Making many short hops with frequent stopovers to rest and eat takes longer.
Weather and Winds
Headwinds slow progress while tailwinds boost speed. Cold temperatures and storms necessitate waiting out delays.
Age and Experience
Adult hummingbirds that have migrated before tend to travel faster than juveniles on their first journey.
Key Strategies that Maximize Speed
Hummingbirds have adaptations and strategies to complete their long migrations as quickly as possible:
Flying High
Hummingbirds will fly at higher altitudes to take advantage of fast air currents. This helps them minimize headwinds.
Timing of Breeding Season
Hummingbirds time breeding so that their southbound migration coincides with the blooming of flowers all along the route to provide nonstop food.
Fat Stores
Before migrating, hummingbirds eat as much as possible and store fat to fuel the journey. This allows them to minimize stopovers.
Torpor
By entering torpor at night, hummingbirds conserve huge amounts of energy during migration rest periods.
Navigation Ability
Hummingbirds appear to have a strong innate navigation ability to travel directly between seasonal sites, minimizing excess distance.
Do Hummingbirds Migrate Together?
While hummingbirds are solitary and territorial at breeding sites, during migration they are more social. Huge numbers will congregate at stopovers to refuel. While not flying in coordinated flocks, great densities travel parallel routes at the same times. However, each bird navigates and powers its own journey. Banding studies show hummingbirds migrating solo and not with the same individuals over seasons.
Challenges Hummingbirds Face During Migration
Hummingbirds’ small size makes their long migrations even more amazing. However, it also leads to substantial mortality. Here are some key hazards hummingbirds must overcome:
Lack of Stopover Habitat
If a hummingbird cannot find enough food at stopovers to refuel, it risks starving or being too weak to continue. Developing stopover habitats along migration routes is a conservation priority.
Storms and Bad Weather
Hummingbirds are vulnerable to weather due to their small size. Rainstorms or high winds can quickly become life-threatening.
Predators
Predatory birds like falcons seize hummingbirds in flight. At stopovers, mammals, snakes, and invertebrates also prey on hummingbirds.
Ocean Crossings
Crossing the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean is extremely taxing. Exhaustion or storms can prevent making landfall.
Habitat Loss
Urbanization and reducing natural areas degrade stopover habitat quality and food availability.
| Breeding Location | Migration Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Canada | 4,000 miles | 2 months |
| Northeast U.S. | 3,500 miles | 6-8 weeks |
| Midwest U.S. | 3,000 miles | 1.5 months |
| Southeast U.S. | 2,500 miles | 6 weeks |
Conclusion
In summary, a one-way fall migration for ruby-throated hummingbirds from breeding grounds in the U.S. and Canada down to Panama takes 1.5-2 months on average. The longest migrations from Alaska can be 5,000 miles or more and take 3 months. The speed and distance covered each day depends on the terrain and weather conditions. While hummingbirds are capable of flying up to 30 mph, they typically cover 250-375 miles distance each day during migration. Their migration is broken into multiple legs with stopovers to rest and refuel every few days. The exact migration duration is influenced by the route, number of stopovers, weather, and age and experience of each individual bird. These tiny travelers display incredible endurance to complete some of the most epic migrations in the animal kingdom relative to their size. Developing protected habitats along their migration routes is crucial to ensure hummingbirds can continue making their amazing biannual journeys.
