Bye, Bye Birdie: Hummingbirds Now Heading South Through Georgia On Fall Migration

If you're noticing more hummingbirds in Georgia now, there's a reason. The tiny birds are starting to head South on their fall migration to escape the cold winter in North America.

Bye, bye hummingbirds! Georgia's migrating hummingbirds are heading south for the winter. So put your feeders out to help them refuel.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

Numerous species of hummingbirds fly through Georgia on their annual migrations, and all those flying by stop along the route seeking food and resting places on their long journeys. September is the peak month for southward-migrating hummingbirds in Georgia.

According to website wildbirdscoop.com, hummingbirds begin heading South in August and September, passing through Georgia as they return to Mexico, Central and South America. The annual migration ends by mid-October.

Thus, it's not surprising that the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division recommends Georgians keep their hummingbird feeders full in the fall.

Georgia's DNR says that filled feeders help the hungry travelers replinish their fuel reserves on the long flight. And contrary to some beliefs, making it easy for the tiny birds to find food does not disrupt their migration or cause them to stay in the state year round.

We watched this guy flit around a feeder. With quick darts and wings that flap 50 to 80 beats per second, they are hard to photo freeze.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

During the fall migration, ruby-throated hummingbirds are the most frequently spotted hummingbirds in Georgia. That's because this species migrates northward in the spring to the Mid-Atlantic states to breed and nest along the coast. Then, they reverse their migration path and head back South in the fall.

Don't expect to see large flocks of the tiny birds overhead or hanging around your feeder in the fall. Hummingbirds are notorious loners, and they make the long trip solo. According to wildbirdscoop.com, "on average, a hummingbird flies around 30 mph and takes approximately 50 hours to reach the Mexican border from Georgia. But individuals may sometimes travel for just one hour per day or undertake non-stop flights of 500 miles in around 20 hours."

When October comes and the migration is complete, don't put away all of your hummingbird feeders. Georgia's DNR recommends having a year-round feeder available. Doing so may increase your chances of seeing different species of hummingbirds that are visiting Georgia at an increasing rate during winter months, Georgia's DNR says.

"Most of the hummingbirds seen in Georgia during the winter months are western visitors," a Georgia DNR publication advises. "Wintering hummingbirds begin arriving as early as August; however, they appear at feeders anytime throughout fall and winter. In winter, the hummingbird with the longest migration route and North America's smallest hummingbird are among the hummingbirds that migrate here."

Hummingbirds are notorious loners, so don't expect to see a flock approaching your feeder, even during migration season.Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com

In fact, Georgia's DNR says that while the highest number of hummingbird sightings occurs from March through October, you're more likely to see a variety of different hummingbird species during the winter.

Beyond the warm-weather ruby-throated hummingbird species, 10 additional species of rarer hummingbirds are most often spotted in Georgia during the colder months.

According to Georgia's DNR, those winter species inclue black-chinned, rufous, calliope, magnificent, Allen's, Anna's, broad-billed, green violet-ear, green-breasted mango and broad-tailed hummingbird.

Georgians are asked by DNR to report sightings of rare hummingbirds as well as all hummingbirds spotted in the winter to:

Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Wildlife Conservation Section, 116 Rum Creek Drive, Forsyth, GA 31029, or call: 478-994-1438

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