It’s hard to believe that it’s already time to put those hummingbird feeders back out and start watching for the return of our tiniest birds. The great Hummingbird migration is underway!
There have already been sightings in our area of the first males arriving in Northeast Florida. The male hummingbird generally arrives several weeks before the females to establish their territory. If you maintain a clean feeder and have plenty of nectar-rich flowers, there’s a good chance your hummingbirds will retrace their migration path all the way to your backyard! Happy, well-fed hummingbirds are known to return to their spring/summer homes. The offspring from the previous summer like to return to the same area they were born in as well. If it’s already occupied by their father or another male they will generally remain in the nearby area. Research has shown that your yard and community may very well remain the ancestral home of many generations of hummingbird families. If they have proper shelter and food supply, they will look forward to their return home to your yard in the spring. It truly is remarkable that they can navigate their way back home, and they remember every flower they ever sipped from, humans they encountered, and the exact yard with their favorite feeders.