Calling all bird lovers! It’s that special time of year when we will be blessed with thousands of hummingbird visits to our backyards as they make their way further south for the winter. If you haven’t been refilling your feeders for our little feathered friends, now is a good time to fill up!
Hummingbirds are migratory creatures.
SusanGaryPhotography/Getty Images They spend the winter in Central America and Mexico and the summer in different parts of the United States. Not all hummingbirds migrate, but a good chunk of them do, including the ones in Louisiana.
In the fall, they make their migration from the United States back to Central America and Mexico to ride out the winter in warmer temperatures.
Todd Harris/Getty Images And we’re about to enter their fall migration. You may have already noticed an uptick in how many of these little beauties you’ve seen around your garden.
Here in Louisiana, we mainly see those beautiful red-throated hummingbirds, but there are several different types that migrate.
Hummingbird Central During the migration, you could see all sorts of different hummingbirds stop by to refuel on their journey southwards.
Hummingbirds make the migration on their own.
CarolinaBirdman/Getty Images They fly alone and typically take the exact same path, year after year. They can travel as many as 23 miles in one day and are experts at using the trade winds to consume less energy.
The migration can start as early as August, especially for northern states.
Mike Bons/Getty Images Basically, as the temperatures get cooler, the hummingbirds fly further south. Since Louisiana doesn’t tend to see those cold front blast through until October (at least), hummingbirds have been known to stick around until the end of September.
In order for these tiny birds to make their journey, they need to gain weight beforehand.
Alekdandar Milivojevic/Flickr During migration, their heart beats up to 1,260 times a minute! In order for them to maintain such high energy levels, they will gain anywhere from 25%-40% of their body weight before they start migrating.
If you’d like to be a pit-stop for the hummingbirds on their journey south, fill up a feeder and hang it in your backyard.
Joe Regan/Getty Images Hummingbirds also eat small insects, spiders, and, of course, nectar. If you happen to have any lantana, pentas, or zinnias in your yard, you’re already attracting them!
To make your own nectar for your feeder, all you’ll need is sugar and water. Mix one part sugar to four parts water, let it dissolve, and it’s ready to put into your feeder. You do not need to add any coloring to the water as this can be harmful to the birds. They will find the feeder just fine without tinting the mixture.
Have you seen any hummingbirds in your garden recently? Let us know in the comments below!
SusanGaryPhotography/Getty Images
They spend the winter in Central America and Mexico and the summer in different parts of the United States. Not all hummingbirds migrate, but a good chunk of them do, including the ones in Louisiana.
Todd Harris/Getty Images
And we’re about to enter their fall migration. You may have already noticed an uptick in how many of these little beauties you’ve seen around your garden.
Hummingbird Central
During the migration, you could see all sorts of different hummingbirds stop by to refuel on their journey southwards.
CarolinaBirdman/Getty Images
They fly alone and typically take the exact same path, year after year. They can travel as many as 23 miles in one day and are experts at using the trade winds to consume less energy.
Mike Bons/Getty Images
Basically, as the temperatures get cooler, the hummingbirds fly further south. Since Louisiana doesn’t tend to see those cold front blast through until October (at least), hummingbirds have been known to stick around until the end of September.
Alekdandar Milivojevic/Flickr
During migration, their heart beats up to 1,260 times a minute! In order for them to maintain such high energy levels, they will gain anywhere from 25%-40% of their body weight before they start migrating.
Joe Regan/Getty Images
Hummingbirds also eat small insects, spiders, and, of course, nectar. If you happen to have any lantana, pentas, or zinnias in your yard, you’re already attracting them!
To make your own nectar for your feeder, all you’ll need is sugar and water. Mix one part sugar to four parts water, let it dissolve, and it’s ready to put into your feeder. You do not need to add any coloring to the water as this can be harmful to the birds. They will find the feeder just fine without tinting the mixture.
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Address: Louisiana, USA
