When Should I Take Down My Hummingbird Feeder?

Weekly Newspaper Article for The News-Democrat, Carrollton, KY

Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey

Hummingbirds are a great joy to see during the summer months of the year.  These small birds have very interesting characteristics including their tiny size, brilliant color, dazzling acrobatics, swift flight, and unique personality.

Generally, the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is the type of hummingbird we see in Kentucky.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Male (Clemson Extension)

This bird is remarkable!  Its routine cruising speed is 27 mph, and it can reach 60 mph during courtship flights.  On average, its wings beat 53 times per second, and the hummingbird is the only avian species that can fly backwards and upside down.

Each bird must eat 100 percent of its body weight in nectar every day to survive.  Depending on air temperatures and activity levels, this means the birds feed anywhere from every five minutes to every hour.  Placing hummingbird feeders on your property is a great way to attract hummingbirds and help them in their life cycle.  One average-sized feeder can provide the daily nectar equivalent of 2,000 to 5,000 flowers!

Hummingbirds, or hummers for short, usually start to show up in mid-April.  By late July, and especially at this time of the year, the birds begin to migrate southward to their wintering grounds in Mexico, Panama, the Bahamas, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic.  During migration, hummers can travel 500 miles in a single day!

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been receiving several calls asking the question, "When should I take down my hummingbird feeder?"

The answer to that question is...take the feeder down when you stop seeing hummingbirds come to it.

There is a common thought that if you continue to leave your feeder up during the colder months, hummingbirds will not migrate because feed is available.  This is not true.

Hummingbirds will migrate--the pull to do so is engrained in their makeup.  It's instinct!

Maintaining hummingbird feeders during this time of the year can actually help those migrant hummingbirds who are passing through on their journey south.  Migrant hummers tend to show up around late July and continue to pass through until October.

So, keep your feeders up!  You are helping these fascinating creatures on their big journey!

Mini Christin's Corner

Welcome October!

The October 2012 issue of my newsletter, Carroll County Agriculture News, is available for viewing.  This quarter's issue deals with soil sampling, cyanide poisoning of livestock, timely tips for beef cattle producers, and tips on managing money.