Hummingbird Migration Dates

female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird at Schuylkill Nature Center

The hummingbirds should be migrating.

I spotted this female Ruby-Throat at the Schuylkill Nature Center in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia last Wednesday.

At first I heard a squeaking noise and then I realized it was a hummingbird. She flew right by me and sat on the thin branches of a tree, not more than fifteen feet from me.

Several days later, another female Ruby-Throat hovered less than six feet from me when I was at Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve in New Hope Bucks County.

So, the female Ruby-Throats are still in the area.

The Ruby-Throated hummer is the only hummingbird that lives and nests in the Philadelphia area. The male as a sparkly deep ruby red colored feathers on its throat. The female has plain white feathers.

Another hummingbird the Rufous Hummingbird is a regular rare visitor to Pennsylvania during migration. This hummingbird frequents backyard hummingbird feeders during their migration from August to December. The Rufous doesn't nest in Philadelphia or Pennsylvania. The Ruby-Throated does nest in the state.

Now it a good time to put out hummingbird feeders to attract hummingbirds to your garden. Many of these small birds will be passing through on their migration down to Central America.

The hummingbird migration dates vary according region of the country. This chart covers the eight most common species that breed in North America. This information is helpful in knowing when to place your nectar feeders out in your backyard habitat gardens. If you don't live in the Philadelphia area, any bird field guide will tell you which species you can expect to find in your neighborhood.

Eastern	Northward	Southward
Ruby-throated	late February to mid-May	late July to late October
Western	Northward	Southward
Allen's	January to March	mid-May to September
Anna's	does not migrate; shifts to local areas with more food
Black-chinned	mid-March through mid-May	mid-July - November
Broad-tailed	March to May	August to October
Calliope	March to May	late July to September
Costa's	late January to February	September to October
Rufous	February to May	late June to September

For a great hummingbird feeder and nectar recipe, try
http://www.donnallong.com/search/label/hummingbirds

The Hummingbirds are back.

Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

Several people have seen hummingbirds here in the Philadelphia area.  These tiny fast fliers often whizz by so quickly, you might think they are insects or bees. The only hummingbirds that breed in this area are the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. 

Last year was my first successful year attracting hummingbirds to my garden. I have planted hummingbird attracting flowers and hung a nectar feeder in my garden.

Hummingbird nectar can be made at home. It is just sugar water. It mimics the nectar found at the base of flowers. Hummingbirds sip the nectar and any tiny insects floating in it. 

I make enough nectar to last a week and keep it in the refrigerator. I change the nectar every other day or so. I don’t mind doing this because the thrill of seeing hummingbirds in my garden is more than worth  the effort. 

The recipe is 1 part regular granulated sugar to 4 parts water.  Boil this mixture until the sugar crystals are dissolved. Pour it into your hummingbird feeder of choice. 

I have gone through several feeders. Some feeders are hard to clean and get moldy fast. This is one of them. 

This is my current feeder. It is very easy to keep clean.  

I look forward to maybe getting a photo of a hummingbird in my garden . The bird photos here were all taken at the hummingbird feeders in Fort Washington State Park. My empty feeder looks lonely.