Just before dusk, this little gal arrived in my yard obviously exhausted from her long spring migration. When she first arrived, she went directly to my hummingbird feeder and spent a good time drinking nectar (sugar water). After she moved to the hummingbird swing and rested for about 25 minutes. The nectar feeder is about 2 feet to the left of the swing. She then drank more nectar before returning to the swing, where she rested again for about 25 minutes before flying off.

Witnessing the bird resting just outside my window got me to thinking about how far she had migrated just to get to my yard. Most Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (the only hummingbird species to breed east of the Mississippi) spend their winters in Central America and begin their journey north to their breeding grounds in late February to early March. Typically, they travel about 20 - 30 miles a day, but can and most do fly non-stop for up to 500 miles migrating over the Gulf of Mexico, which can take them over 20 hours!

Before making their flight over the Gulf of Mexico, Ruby-throated hummingbirds will have to nearly double their weight by eating lots of insects and drinking plenty of nectar – there is no place to stop and eat over open water! Once they make it to the United States, the birds will continually be on the lookout for insects and nectar sources. Flowers and our nectar feeders are crucial to their survival!

Back to how far this little gal traveled to get to my yard – I looked up the flight distance between Costa Rica (the southern-most range for them in winter) to Massachusetts and it’s over 2,000 miles! Ruby-throated Hummingbirds may be tiny, but they are also fierce!