Hummingbirds are amazing little birds that captivate us with their beauty and flying abilities. These tiny birds seem to defy physics as they hover suspended in midair and dart from flower to flower. Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards and upside down. They can flap their wings up to 80 times per second, allowing them to hover and maintain their position while drinking nectar from flowers.
Hummingbirds are native to the Americas and there are over 300 different species. In the United States, there are several species that breed during the summer months and migrate south for the winter. The most common hummingbird seen in Wisconsin is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
When do hummingbirds leave Wisconsin?
Hummingbirds usually start leaving Wisconsin in early September. The timing depends on a few factors:
- Weather – Cold fronts and drops in temperature cue hummingbirds to start migrating.
- Food availability – As flowers begin to fade and nectar becomes scarce, hummingbirds know it’s time to depart.
- Day length – Shortening daylight hours in the late summer trigger migratory instincts.
By mid-September, most hummingbirds have left Wisconsin and begun their southern journey. A few stragglers may remain until late September or even early October if food resources remain. However, most experts advise homeowners to take down their feeders by mid-October at the latest.
Where do hummingbirds that leave Wisconsin spend the winter?
When hummingbirds depart Wisconsin in the fall, they embark on an incredible journey all the way to Mexico and Central America. Their main wintering grounds are in the following regions:
- Southern Mexico – States such as Guerrero, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Tabasco, Chiapas, and the Yucatan Peninsula.
- Guatemala – Both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts.
- Belize – Coastal areas and inland at low elevations.
- El Salvador – Along the Pacific coast.
- Honduras – Mainly on the north coast and Bay Islands.
- Nicaragua – Lowlands on the Pacific side.
- Costa Rica – Low-elevation areas, especially on the Pacific slope.
- Panama – Mainly near the Pacific coast.
As you can see, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds winter primarily in coastal areas of Mexico and Central America near the Pacific Ocean or Caribbean Sea. The warm, tropical climate provides the nectar and insect food they need to survive cold northern winters.
What is their migration route and how long does it take?
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds follow different migration routes depending on their starting point, but they all converge along the Gulf Coast. Here are some estimated travel times and routes:
- Wisconsin to the Gulf Coast – About 20-22 hours of flying time direct.
- Across the Gulf of Mexico – Nonstop flight of 500-600 miles taking 18-22 hours.
- Gulf Coast to Central America – 30-60 hours with rest stops along the coast.
- Total trip length from Wisconsin – About 2,000 miles taking 2-3 weeks.
Hummingbirds migrate relatively slowly, traveling about 25-30 miles per day. They need to rest and refuel every night by eating nectar and insects along their route. Bad weather like storms and headwinds can significantly slow down their migration.
What routes and stopovers are used during migration?
Here are some of the major migration routes and stopping points used by Ruby-throated Hummingbirds leaving Wisconsin:
- North along the Mississippi River corridor through Illinois and Missouri.
- Southeast through Chicago to Indiana and Ohio.
- East across Lake Michigan to Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
- Gulf Coast stopovers – Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. Key resting spots before crossing the Gulf of Mexico.
- Trans-Gulf route – Nonstop 500-600 mile flight across the Gulf of Mexico, a major milestone.
- Coastal Central America – Resting and refueling along the coasts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize before reaching their winter grounds.
Hummingbirds use a variety of habitats during migration including woodlands, forests, parks, preserves, backyard feeders, and anywhere they can find food. Oases of native nectar plants and feeders provide crucial fueling stations along their arduous journey.
What navigational cues do hummingbirds use?
Scientists are still researching how hummingbirds navigate their thousand-mile migrations. Here are some of the cues and instincts they likely use:
- Orientation by the sun – They can perceive polarized light from the sun even on cloudy days.
- Star navigation – They may orient themselves by the stars at night.
- Internal compass – They can sense the earth’s magnetic fields for direction.
- Landscape recognition – Memory and recognition of landmarks along migration routes.
- Fat stores – Building fat reserves to fuel migration and cross barriers like the Gulf of Mexico.
- Weather awareness – Detecting air pressure changes and impending storms.
Instincts inherited from previous generations likely provide hummingbirds with a sort of “mental map” guiding their migration. But individual birds may still need experience to perfect the route.
How do hummingbirds know when to start migrating?
Hummingbirds appear to receive cues triggering migration from several sources:
- Hormonal changes – Fluctuations in hormones (corticosterone) linked to migration and fat storage.
- Day length – As days shorten in late summer, it stimulates migratory instincts.
- Weather and food availability – Cold snaps and lack of flowers/nectar provide clues to move on.
- Orientation shifts – Young birds start migrating south rather than randomly at the end of summer.
- Genetics and experience – Innate programming initiates migration, fine-tuned by learning.
These internal and external cues tell hummingbirds when to start migrating, what direction to go, and how long to keep flying south. Scientists continue to better understand what drives these remarkable migratory behaviors.
Do the same hummingbirds return each year?
Research shows that Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are loyal to their breeding and wintering grounds, returning to the same locations every year. Banding studies have recaptured individual hummingbirds year after year:
- At winter grounds in Belize and other Central American countries.
- At summer breeding territories in Wisconsin, other U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
As long as they survive the migration and winter, hummingbirds have excellent site fidelity. Males tend to return to previous breeding areas to attract mates. Females often nest in the same range or even a few feet from an old nest. Their strong homing ability contributes to successful migration and reproduction each season.
How do hummingbirds know how to get back to Wisconsin?
When beginning their spring migration north, hummingbirds rely on the same navigational cues and innate instincts that guided their southern journey:
- Polarized light patterns help determine north.
- The earth’s magnetic fields act as a compass.
- Landforms and landmarks trigger recognition.
- Following flowering plants and warmer temperatures.
- Hormonal changes initiating migration and fat storage.
Young birds may imprint on their migration route and destination as they travel with their mother the first time. Environmental cues then trigger recognition of when and where to migrate. Together, these natural navigational abilities have evolved to bring hummingbirds back to their northern breeding ranges every spring.
Conclusion
The tiny Ruby-throated Hummingbird makes an incredible migratory journey each year between its summer breeding grounds in Wisconsin and wintering territory in Mexico and Central America. These tenacious birds fly hundreds of miles nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico guided by the stars, the earth’s magnetic fields, and an internal compass. Along the way they rely on flowering plants, backyard feeders, and resting stopovers to fuel up. While many details remain mysterious, scientists continue to uncover the amazing navigational abilities hummingbirds employ to migrate thousands of miles and return with precision to the same northern breeding habitats every spring.
