Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures. These tiny birds can hover in midair, fly backwards, and migrate thousands of miles every year. In the summer, beautiful ruby-throated hummingbirds are a common sight in North Georgia. But when the weather starts to cool in the fall, where do these hummingbirds go? Understanding hummingbird migration can help us appreciate the incredible journey these tiny birds undertake each year.
Why Do Hummingbirds Migrate?
Hummingbirds migrate to escape harsh winter conditions and find more abundant food sources. In the summer, North Georgia provides the perfect habitat for hummingbirds with its proliferation of nectar-rich flowers. But once winter arrives, flowers become scarce and food is much harder to find. Freezing temperatures and snowstorms would also threaten the survival of hummingbirds. To avoid the dangers of winter, hummingbirds embark on an arduous migration south to warmer climates.
Ideal Hummingbird Habitat
Hummingbirds require certain habitat conditions to thrive, including:
- Abundant nectar sources from tubular flowers
- Insects and spiders for protein
- Trees and shrubs for perching and nesting
- Bodies of water for bathing and drinking
- Mild temperatures and limited frost days
During the winter, few areas in North Georgia can provide everything a hummingbird needs. Moving south allows hummingbirds to continue finding food and suitable shelter.
Where Do Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds that Live in North Georgia Go?
The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only breeding hummingbird species found east of the Mississippi River. In summer, their breeding range extends across Eastern North America from South Carolina to Minnesota. But by winter, they have almost completely vacated this entire region.
Banding and tracking studies have helped scientists map out the migration routes and wintering grounds for ruby-throated hummingbirds that breed in different parts of their summer range:
- Most ruby-throats that breed in Northeastern states migrate across the Atlantic Ocean to winter in southern Mexico and Central America.
- Ruby-throats that breed in Midwestern states fly south across the Gulf of Mexico to Mexico and Panama.
- Southeastern breeding ruby-throats primarily winter along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida or in Mexico, Cuba, and the Bahamas.
Based on their summer breeding grounds, most ruby-throated hummingbirds that live in North Georgia likely migrate across the Gulf and winter along the Northern Gulf Coast through Florida. A smaller number may join Midwestern birds traveling to Mexico.
The Hummingbird Migration Route
The ruby-throated hummingbird makes one of the most incredible migratory journeys of any bird relative to its tiny body size. At only 2-3 grams, these tiny birds fly 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico. Their entire migration covers 3,000 miles round trip from the Southeast to the Gulf Coast and back.
Though each bird may take a slightly different path, the general migration route for Southeastern hummingbirds includes these key stops:
- Breeding grounds in North Georgia, Tennessee, Carolinas (July – August)
- Fall staging areas along the Northern Gulf Coast (September – October)
- Wintering grounds across the Gulf Coast and South Florida (November – March)
- Spring staging sites along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts (Late March – May)
- Return to breeding territories in the Southeast (May – June)
Fall Migration
In late summer, ruby-throats start preparing for migration by eating as much as possible to store fat reserves. By late August or September, natural food sources begin declining as daylight hours shorten. This triggers the birds to start their southbound migration through the Eastern U.S. to the Gulf Coast.
In areas along the Gulf like Louisiana, Texas, and Florida, ruby-throats stop to rest and feed for a few weeks. Abundant flowers from shrubs like privet, willow, and exotic tallow provide fuel for the next nonstop 500-mile flight across the Gulf to their Central American winter homes.
Spring Migration
In February and March, warming temperatures and lengthening days prompt hummingbirds to start flying north. But instead of crossing the Gulf, they follow the Mexico-U.S. Gulf Coast and hopscotch across the Southeast as they re-trace their migration path. They pause to rest and refuel along the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida before making the final push to their Southeastern breeding grounds where they arrive in April or May.
Wintering Ground Dangers
Reaching their winter homes along the U.S. Gulf Coast, Mexico, or the Caribbean is just the first leg in the hummingbirds’ migration. Threats still await them on their tropical wintering grounds:
- Habitat loss – Urban development and logging destroy crucial shelter and nectar sources.
- Pesticides – Chemicals applied to tropical crops can poison hummingbirds.
- Climate factors – Drought or severe storms can reduce food availability.
- Predators – Hummingbirds must evade spiders, snakes, and other predators.
Surviving the 3-4 months in their winter habitat requires finding secure shelter sites and defending precious nectar resources. Hummingbirds also enter a state of torpor on cold nights, lowering their body temperature and heart rate to conserve energy.
Dangers During Migration
Ruby-throated hummingbirds face a perilous journey during both their fall and spring migrations. Some of the key dangers along their migratory route include:
- Inclement weather – Storms or high winds can blow small hummingbirds off course.
- Lack of food – Hummingbirds depend on nectar supplies along the route to fuel their travel.
- No resting places – If habitat is destroyed, they may run out of shelter.
- Predators – Hawks, grackles, and dragonflies prey on hummingbirds.
Exhaustion and starvation are two of the biggest risks during migration. Hummingbirds need frequent stops to rest and refuel. Ruby-throats may lose up to a quarter of their body weight while flying across the Gulf. Finding enough food at stopover sites is critical to rebuilding energy for the next leg of the trip.
How Do Hummingbirds Navigate Their Migration?
Navigating thousands of miles between their breeding and wintering grounds is an incredible feat for such tiny birds. How do hummingbirds find their way on this epic journey? Scientists believe a few key abilities allow hummingbirds to migrate successfully:
- Innate orientation – They can calibrate their internal compass based on the sun’s position and polarization patterns in the sky.
- Fat reserves – Storing enough fat provides energy for long flights between stops.
- Landscape recognition – They remember and recognize geographic landmarks along the route.
Hummingbirds may also orient themselves using the earth’s magnetic fields. And some research indicates hummingbirds can remember flower locations from previous migrations to find reliable food sources along the way.
How Do Hummingbirds Know When to Migrate?
What signals tell hummingbirds it’s time to migrate? The primary factors that trigger migration are:
- Decreasing daylight hours
- Cooler nighttime temperatures
- Decline in food availability
Young birds completing their first migration likely follow experienced adults. Internal circadian rhythms also control the timing of migratory restlessness and fat storage before migration.
Interesting Facts About Hummingbird Migration
Here are some fascinating facts about the incredible migration of ruby-throated hummingbirds:
- Hummingbirds fly an average 25-30 miles per hour but can reach up to 60 mph.
- Their tiny wings beat up to 70 times per second!
- During migration, a hummingbird’s heart rate can reach up to 1,260 beats per minute.
- They fly as high as 12,500 feet above sea level during migration.
- Most hummingbirds migrate alone, not in flocks.
- Young birds travel south one to two weeks after adults.
- Hummingbirds stop to rest every 5-6 hours during migration.
Understanding these fun migration facts helps us appreciate the endurance of hummingbirds on their biannual journeys over thousands of miles.
Threats to Hummingbirds During Migration
Hummingbirds face many threats and challenges during their migratory journey each spring and fall. Some of the major dangers include:
Habitat Loss
Hummingbirds need suitable rest stops with adequate food to fuel up for migration. But urban development destroys forests and meadows hummingbirds rely on for rest. Pesticides also reduce insect populations hummingbirds eat for protein.
Inclement Weather
Storms, high winds, or cold snaps along their migration route can be deadly. Hummingbirds are especially vulnerable when crossing the Gulf where weather is unpredictable.
Lack of Nectar Sources
Without enough flowers and nectar supplies along migration pathways, hummingbirds risk starving before reaching their destination. Some common nectar sources include:
- Trumpet creeper
- Bee balm
- Salvia
- Nasturtium
- Zinnia
- Butterfly bush
Areas without sufficient nectar plants should be supplemented with feeders to support migrating hummingbirds.
Predators
Species like sharp-shinned hawks, bullfrogs, and praying mantises all prey on hummingbirds. House cats also kill millions of migrating songbirds each year. Predation threatens hummingbird survival en route.
How to Help Hummingbirds on Migration
Want to support hummingbirds on their migration journey? Here are some tips:
Provide Food Sources
Plant native nectar flowers and put up feeders with sugar-water to provide energy. Leave feeders up through early fall and resume feeding in spring.
Create Shelter
Provide resting spots with trees, shrubs, and woody vegetation so hummingbirds can escape from predators.
Avoid Pesticides
Use natural gardening methods to encourage safe insect populations for eating. Limit chemical use.
Report Banding
If you find a banded hummingbird, report it to scientists tracking migration at www.reportband.gov.
Document Arrival and Departure
Keep records of first and last sightings and share with groups like the Hummingbird Study Network.
Spread the Word
Educate others about supporting hummingbird conservation and migration habitats.
The Extraordinary Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
The ruby-throated hummingbird undertakes an astonishing migration each year, flying thousands of miles between its Southeastern breeding grounds and Gulf Coast winter homes. This incredible journey is driven by the hummingbird’s amazing adaptions that allow it to fly long distances and survive despite its tiny size, including:
- Specialized flight muscles making up 25% of their weight
- Rotating wings providing lift on both upstroke and downstroke
- Ability to store fat providing energy for flights
- Extremely rapid metabolism and heartrate
- Navigational skills and memory guiding their route
- Torpor reducing energy needs when resting
Weighing about the same as a penny, the ruby-throated hummingbird undertakes a migration of epic proportions. These remarkable tiny birds display incredible endurance as they complete their yearly odyssey across thousands of miles between their summer and winter homes.
When we see ruby-throated hummingbirds visiting feeders and flowers in our North Georgia gardens, we are witnessing just a small snapshot of their much larger migratory journey. Appreciating the full scope of their migration helps us understand the adaptions that allow hummingbirds to thrive and the threats that put their amazing migration at risk.
Conclusion
Ruby-throated hummingbirds breeding in North Georgia escape the dangers of winter by migrating hundreds of miles across the Southeast to reach wintering grounds along the Gulf Coast. Their migration covers an incredible distance for such tiny birds. Along the way, hummingbirds face many threats including habitat loss, predators, weather, and lack of food. But these resilient birds are equipped with specialized adaptions allowing them to complete the arduous round-trip migration every year. Understanding the dynamics of hummingbird migration gives us insight into their amazing abilities while highlighting ways we can support their conservation.
