August is an active month for hummingbirds across North America. As summer begins winding down, hummingbirds are busy storing up energy for their fall migration and preparing to depart for their winter grounds. Here’s a look at what these tiny birds are up to in the eighth month of the year.
Feasting on Nectar and Insects
A hummingbird’s main food sources are nectar and small insects, such as gnats, fruit flies, spiders, and aphids. During August, they are feverishly slurping down nectar and snatching up bugs to fatten up before migration. Hummingbirds need to nearly double their body weight in order to have enough fuel reserves to make their long journeys south.
Some of the flowers that provide important late summer nectar sources include:
- Trumpet vine
- Bee balm
- Coneflowers
- Cardinal flower
- Butterfly bush
- Impatiens
- Hostas
- Petunias
- Fuchsias
- Salvia
Hummingbirds have excellent color vision and can see the color red remarkably well. They are drawn to tubular red flowers, which typically have higher sugar concentrations. By late summer, trumpet vines, bee balm, and cardinal flowers may fade, so it’s important for hummingbird enthusiasts to plant other red bloomers for August.
Hummingbirds also catch tiny insects, which are a critical source of protein. With their specialized beaks and extendable tongues, they adeptly pluck small insects right out of the air. They supplement nectar meals with protein from insects to maintain muscle mass for their long migrations.
Guarding Food Sources
Food is a valuable resource that hummingbirds aggressively defend. Males in particular become more territorial around nectar sources in August, chasing away intruders from their prime feeding areas. Younger males tend to get chased by older, dominant males who have established feeding sites. Females visiting those areas may also get run off by possessive males. These aerial dogfights and acrobatic chases happen lightning fast. The birds make sharp chirping and squeaking sounds as they dive bomb and chase one another.
Displaying with Dives, Dances, and Dogfights
In addition to guarding food supplies, male hummingbirds also perform dramatic display dives to impress females and deter rival males. These displays establish dominance and communicate that the male is fit and healthy. Two breeding displays commonly seen in August are the dive and the shuttle display.
The Dive Display
During the dive display, a male ascends 30-100 feet into the air before diving down past a female in a blurred flash of iridescent feathers, making a loud chirping or popping noise with his tail feathers. He may repeat this several times. The rapid speed and G-forces demonstrate his strength and agility.
The Shuttle Display
In the shuttle display, the male flies back and forth in a fast U-shaped pattern in front of the female while orienting his glittery red gorget feathers towards her. The humming sound made by his wings rapidly beating up to 200 times per second is part of the display.
Males also perform aerial dogfights, aggressively chasing each other in fast vertical and horizontal loops to assert dominance. The high-speed chases show off their speed, agility, and competitiveness. The male who out-maneuvers his rival wins prime mating rights.
Searching for Flowers
With some summer flowers fading, hummingbirds visit new neighborhoods and habitats in search of fresh nectar sources. They cover an impressive amount of ground each day, logging miles between productive flower patches. Their excellent memory allows them to create mental maps of where the best flowers are located.
In August, keep an eye out for more hummingbirds visiting your yard and garden as they scour new areas for food. Having a diversity of flowers blooming from midsummer through fall will provide an ongoing buffet. Especially seek out tube-shaped flowers in the birds’ preferred colors of red, orange, and pink.
Bathing and Preening
Hummingbirds spend time bathing and preening their feathers to stay clean and groomed. Their buzzing wings work like tiny propellers as they flutter in water droplets sprayed from lawn sprinklers, misters, fountains, and hanging drippers. The moisture allows them to preen and zip their feathers through their mouths to distribute waterproofing oils. This is important maintenance to keep their feathers in good shape for migration.
You may notice hummingbirds perching and preening more frequently on branches, wires, or clothing lines in August as they prepare for fall travel. Providing a mister or dripper adds a nice bathing spot to attract these sparkling jewels to your yard.
Courting and Mating
Late summer is prime mating season for hummingbirds still seeking to breed before migration. Courting behaviors ramp up in August, like the daring dive displays and shuttle dances males perform to impress females.
During courtship, the male and female perch together eating and preening. If she accepts him, they will mate and then go their separate ways. The female alone builds the nest, incubates the tiny eggs for 2 weeks, and feeds the chicks once they hatch.
Many females begin nesting in midsummer to take full advantage of seasonal flower blooms. But late nesters in August can still successfully raise a brood before departing for winter grounds. The two weeks between egg laying and hatching neatly coincides with the two weeks many species spend migrating.
Molting
Late summer is when hummingbirds undergo their annual molt and replace all of their worn feathers. This extensive process leaves the birds vulnerable and grounded for periods of time. They seek protected spots with adequate food during molting bouts, which typically last a couple of weeks.
Their rapid metabolism means hummingbirds burn calories quickly, so they become emaciated and weak if they cannot regularly refuel during molting. Providing multiple nectar sources helps attract hummingbirds going through this taxing phase.
Storing Up Fat for Migration
Hummingbirds nearly double their weight leading up to migration, adding substantial fat stores to fuel their long journey. During migration they burn fat continuously when flying and minimally refuel along the way.
In August, they stock up on high calorie sugary nectar and protein-packed insects to pack on weight. Developing ample fat reserves is critical to surviving migration and reaching their winter grounds. Lean birds are less likely to make it across vast stretches of deserts, mountains, forests, and oceans along the route.
By the time August ends, many hummingbirds are heavy with fat and ready to embark on their fall migration. The timing varies by species – Rufous hummingbirds may depart as early as July or August from the farthest northern reaches of their breeding range, while others like Anna’s and Allen’s hummingbirds primarily migrate in September and October from more southern areas.
hummingbird species | migration period |
---|---|
Ruby-throated | August – October |
Rufous | July – September |
Allen’s | September – October |
Anna’s | October – April |
Interacting with Humans
In August, hummingbirds start visiting feeders and flowering gardens more frequently as they scout for food sources. Keep feeders clean, filled, and in the shade to provide much-needed energy. Switching to a higher sugar nectar mix also helps the birds pack on more weight.
Hummingbirds buzzing around humans offer delightful sightings in August. They may be testing people to see if they warrant chasing away from a food source. Or a brave hummingbird may fly right up to check you out, giving you a thrilling up-close encounter.
August is an opportune month to observe and photograph these flying jewels as they feed and display. You may witness territorial battles, courtship rituals, and birds lounging in the sun. Appreciate these last weeks with hummingbirds before migration begins winding down local activity. Their vanishing act will begin soon as the pull to travel south grows stronger.
Preparing Physically for Migration
August finds hummingbirds preparing physically for the demands of migration. Here are some of the ways they ready themselves for the journey:
- Eating more to store fat
- Fluffing feathers and preening to restore wingtips
- Resting more to conserve energy
- Molting old feathers and growing fresh new plumage
- Exercising wings and muscles through courtship flights
- Moving to optimal staging areas along migration routes
The weeks before migration are action-packed for hummingbirds. As August progresses, their behaviors become more focused on eating, resting, and readying themselves for travel. By carefully conserving calories and maintaining their weight, the birds ensure they have the fuel, stamina, and strength to migrate long distances.
Navigating to Winter Grounds
Hummingbirds migrating south in August and September must travel hundreds to thousands of miles to reach their winter destinations. Most species migrate alone and navigate by using the earth’s magnetic fields, the sun, stars, and visual landmarks.
Their ingenious navigational abilities are still not fully understood. Tracking studies show that some hummingbirds stop over in the same locations year after year. This suggests they use memories of past routes and sites along with environmental cues to find their way on epic multistate journeys.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds travel from Canada and the eastern United States to southern Mexico and Central America for the winter. Rufous hummingbirds breeding in Alaska fly 2,000 miles down the Pacific Coast to winter in California and Mexico. The migratory feats of these tiny solo travelers are astonishing.
Shifting Ranges
Research shows that some hummingbird species like rufous and Anna’s hummingbirds are expanding their breeding ranges northward as climate change alters habitat suitability. The changing environmental dynamics cause shifts in the timing and patterns of migration.
There are also increasing numbers of unusual sightings of rare and vagrant hummingbird species far outside their typical geographic ranges, especially along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. This could indicate more range expansions as hummingbirds disperse and explore new areas.
Tracking studies and citizen science reports provide valuable data on how hummingbird movements and distributions may be evolving over time. The flexibility of these energetic travelers equips them to adapt to environmental changes and discover suitable new habitats.
Key Points
- In August, hummingbirds feast on nectar and insects to fuel up for migration.
- They become more territorial around food sources.
- Males perform courtship displays to attract females.
- Hummingbirds undergo their annual molt and replace feathers.
- They nearly double their weight by storing fat for migration.
- By late August, many are preparing to depart for fall migration.
Conclusion
August finds hummingbirds busy feeding, fattening up, molting, bathing, displaying, mating, and readying themselves for perhaps the most impressive feat of their lives – migration. These energetic, shrinking jewels light up backyards and gardens in the summer’s final weeks with their acrobatic antics and buzzing activity. Appreciate the last days with hummingbirds before fall migration takes them thousands of miles away. Supporting their needs during this important pre-travel period helps ensure they have a successful journey to their distant winter homes.