Hummingbirds are magical little birds thanks to their many unique traits. They win awards for fastest, best in flight and tiniest. And what helps make this bird so interesting is a trait not well studied or documented, compared to other bird species: their migration patterns.
The hummingbird migration facts in this post are about the ruby-throat species. The ruby-throat has the longest recorded migration route. This makes it the one of the more well-known hummingbirds. Ruby-throats mostly migrate on the East Coast.That last fact was a freebie; it doesn’t count in the 6.
Another reason this post is dedicated to the ruby-throated migration is because its migration habits are similar to other species, but varies by dates and locations.
Without further ado, here are 6 hummingbird migration facts sure to make your jaw drop.
1. They fly extremely low over water; some have been spotted within the curl of a wave.
It makes sense they fly low over land. This gives them a chance to see food sources, which they need to stop frequently for on their long migration, hence the popularity of glass hummingbird feeders. But to fly in the curl of a wave? Can you imagine? A surfing bird? The possible reason for this extreme behavior may be protection from wind. The wave itself can serve as a windbreaker for the hummingbird.
2. A man would have to travel half the distance from the Earth to the Sun, 45 million miles, in just two months to match the distance a hummingbird travels. And he’d have to do that twice a year.
The migration route of a hummingbird can be 2,000 miles long, a trek they complete twice a year. They start in Panama to end up in their breeding destination: Canada. They then return to Panama.
3. Not only do some hummingbirds follow a set route year after year, some arrive at the same feeder … on the same day.
Banding studies, in which birds are captures and fitted with an ID, have shown some hummingbirds travel the same route to arrive at the same feeder at the same time. The “how” and “why” of this fact may never be known. Some studies show individual hummingbirds follow this same route every year for as long as they live, which is typically 3-4 years.
4. Hummingbirds start their journey south at the time of greatest food abundance. Yes, they leave when they have access to the most food.
This just proves hummingbirds do not migrate based on food demand. While we are not sure exactly what makes a hummingbird migrate, best guesstimates are migration is triggered for many reasons, including length of sunlight, body weight and hormonal changes. Probably another destined-to-be-a-forever hummingbird mystery.
5. When a hummingbird travels over the Gulf of Mexico they make the non-stop flight, nearly 500 miles, in about 20 hours.
You read that right. Hummingbirds travel over 500 miles without stopping. A few may take refuge on a boat here and there, but the vast majority flies over the Gulf of Mexico without stopping and complete the trek in less than a day. Talk about stamina.
6. To travel as fast as a hummingbird, in proportion to size, a man would have to circle the Earth, 25,000 miles, in 3 minutes.
The speed of hummingbirds is mind-boggling. Everything they do is fast: a heartbeat of 1,260 times a minute, a wing beat of 70 times per second and up to 200 times when diving, and a tongue lap up rate of 13 licks per second.
Michelle Anderson is a guest blogger who likes to write about her bird passions, including hummingbird migration and bird feeding.