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Ruby-throated hummingbirds will soon fly south for the winter. Here's how you can help them migrate.
Experts say feeders should stay up through October so migrating hummingbirds can refuel for long flights to wintering grounds, the Ohio State University Extension said.
- Ruby-Throated hummingbirds are beginning their fall migration south to Mexico and Central America, prompting wildlife experts to advise residents to keep hummingbird feeders active through October.
- Migration is triggered by decreasing daylight hours, not food availability, according to the American Bird Conservancy; keeping feeders out helps migrating birds refuel for their journey.
- Hummingbirds prepare for their journey by gaining 25% to 40% of their body weight, Hummingbird Central reports, while their hearts beat up to 1,260 times a minute during flight.
- Sarah Deckel, Audubon Society of Rhode Island director of bird conservation, warns that owners must clean feeders every other day, or 'the birds could get sick' from crystallized sugar.
- While sugar water provides energy, up to 80% of a hummingbird's diet consists of insects like mosquitoes and spiders, Choose Natives reports, emphasizing the importance of native plants.
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