Spring is migration time for hummingbirds travelling from their winter homes to breeding habitats in the United States and Canada. Use this map to know when to expect them in your area.
And, if you want to test your smarts, try our Hummingbird Quiz and see how much you know about these tiny birds.
2019 Hummingbird Migration Map
This map is updated as hummingbirds are sighted during the spring migration in the United States and Canada.
Click on the map (+) to zoom in on your area:
Check back regularly to see how they are advancing over the coming weeks.
This shows estimated arrival dates based on previous years:
Hummingbird Species
There are a few species on this map:
- Ruby-Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) | Eastern United States, South and Central Canada [wikipedia]
- Black Chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)| Southwest United States [wikipedia]
- Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) | Western coast of United States and Canada [wikipedia]
- Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)| Northwest United States and Northwest Canada [wikipedia]
- Calliope Hummingbird (Stellula calliope) is found in western United States and Canada * [wikipedia]
I don’t think this one is on the map but it’s a good one to watch for if you are in western, high altitude areas.
Keep reading for my top pick for a hummingbird feeder and how to make sugar water.
Getting Ready for the Hummingbirds
Here’s what hummingbirds need:
- Natural habitat for nesting | Bushes, trees, shrubs.
- Insects | This is the main staple of their diet.
- Nectar plants | See 50 Flowering Plants for Hummingbirds.
- NO sprays, no pesticides, no herbicides, etc. | Do not poison their habitat or food sources or you are poisoning them.
Recommended Hummingbird Feeder
Hummingbirds may arrive in your area before they are marked on the map, so get ready about a week before arrival seems imminent and have your feeders ready.
There’s no perfect feeder but this is the best I have found.
Feeder Features to Look For:
- A perch for the hummingbirds so they can rest while they eat.
- If bottle-style feeder, look for a glass bottle which lasts much longer than plastic.
- Easy-to-clean all parts. A small bottle brush will help!
TIP: Get several so you can always have some out while others are being cleaned.
How to Make Sugar Water
This formula is recommended because it is closest to the sugar ratio in natural nectar sources.
- Only use white granulated sugar when preparing sugar water for hummingbirds.
Some birders insist this must be organic sugar. See what you can find. - Never use brown sugar, honey, powders, or food colours in hummer feeders.
They cause a range of problems including rapid bacteria and fungi growth and the potential spread of disease.
Ratios
- 1-part sugar: 4-parts water
Preparation
- Prepare a sugar solution with 1-part white granulated sugar and 4-parts water (e.g. 1 cup sugar and 4 cups water).
- Boil until the sugar dissolves, and allow to cool before adding it to your feeder.
Alternately, you can first boil the water for 5 minutes and then dissolve the sugar in it while it is still hot. - Keep unused sugar water in the fridge (5 days max).
- Change sugar water and clean feeders regularly (every few days in cool weather—several times a day in hot weather).
This post explains how to properly clean and care for bird feeders.
- Tiny Batch: 1/8 cup sugar: 1/2 cup water
- Small Batch: 1/4 cup sugar: 1 cup water
- Medium Batch: 1/2 cup sugar: 2 cups water
- Large Batch: 1 cup sugar: 4 cups water
Precautions
- Sugar water does not stay good for long.
- It’s much better to make small batches daily than trying to store larger ones as they go bad within a week in the fridge.
- During cool weather, sugar water may be fine in the feeders for a few days (at most).
- During warm and hot weather, you may need to change it daily or several times a day. Once it heats up, it’s going bad.
- If you cannot be home to check the feeders, don’t put them out! Better safe than sorry.
Preventing Ants on Hummingbird Feeder
Ants can be a big problem on hummingbird feeders and some hummers won’t feed when ants are there.
Ant moats work very nicely. You can buy them or use these instructions to make your own ant moat.
| Ant Moat |
Make Your Own Ant Moat |
 |
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| See it on Amazon | DIY Ant Moat |
Now, get ready. The hummers are coming!
Free Printable Spring Gardening Checklist
If you would like to save and print the checklist (below), or keep it on your device, use the Add to Cart button (below). You can also read more about Spring Gardening Tips here.
This free download is in PDF format and can be read on any device with Adobe Reader (free). Watch where the file saves on your device so you know where to find it.
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
Next
- Story of Hummingbird who fell in Love with Our Cat
- Free Nesting Box Plans | For wild birds
- When to Stop Feeding Hummingbirds in Fall | Hint: it’s a myth
Kristina Jennings says
I could not bring up the DIY ant moat on the hummingbird feeder. What is it made of?
Melissa J. Will says
The link was broken but I fixed it. Thank you for letting me know. You can see the moat here: https://empressofdirt.net/hummingbird-feeder-ant-moat/