… Are Headed Right For Minnesota During Their Migration This Spring
For many Minnesotans, there’s no greater sign of spring than the sight and sound of birds in the air! Honking Canada geese arrive early on, as do ducks and cranes. They’re often here when the water is still frigid and the ground still covered in snow. But some birds arrive later, making them the true harbingers of warm weather in Minnesota. One example is the ruby-throated hummingbird. This tiny but beautiful bird migrates by the thousand every spring and fall. This spring, like every other, they’re headed right for Minnesota. Read on to learn about the birds’ migration and when you can expect to spot these popular backyard birds humming around your home.
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The range map below shows ruby-throated hummingbirds’ winter homes in blue, their migration in yellow, and their summer homes in green. They travel up from Mexico and Central America, spreading through the United States as the weather warms.
By June and July, the birds will have spread through the rest of Minnesota. Feeding on the nectar of flowering plants, they’ll thrive in Minnesota’s warm summer temperatures.
If you’d like to see ruby-throated hummingbirds in your own yard, consider getting a hummingbird feeder. Fill it with 1 part sugar, 3 parts water, and watch the hummingbirds flutter around it.
Male ruby-throated hummingbirds are easy to spot thanks to the bright red throats for which they are named. Females have light brown or white throats. Both are beautiful additions to your yard this spring and summer!
