It’s time for the fall migration of hummingbirds. While not all hummingbirds will head south for the winter, those in the northern climates will. The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird flies up to 2,000 miles every fall when they migrate from northern climates east of the Rockies to their wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. This amazing distance includes a 600-mile crossing over the Gulf of Mexico.
A Few Facts:
Hummingbirds are among the smallest of birds, and include the smallest living bird species, the Bee Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12–90 times per second. They can also fly backwards, and are the only group of birds that are able to do so. With the exception of insects, hummingbirds in flight have the highest metabolism of all animals, a necessity in order to support the rapid beating of their wings. Hummingbirds drink nectar, a sweet liquid found inside flowers. Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar that is less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is stronger. They also consume more than their own weight in nectar each day, and to do so they must visit hundreds of flowers daily.
The National Audubon Society has their annual Hummingbird Migration Celebration in mid-September. You can join with other hummingbird fans and celebrate the birds as they begin their long journey. If you are lucky enough to be in the southwestern pat of the country, you may have these jewels all year. But, no matter where you are, now’s a great time to get outside, stroll around a park and look for hummingbirds.
