Des Moines, Iowa — Ruby-throated hummingbirds are headed south for the winter. According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), hummingbird migration in Iowa usually lasts from late August to early October. They say this year, hummingbirds are still being reported throughout the state in the second week of October. Many of the birds we’re seeing now bred north of Iowa and are working their way to their wintering areas in Mexico and Central America. So, when is the right time to take down hummingbird feeders? And can feeding them stop the hummers from migrating when they should?
The DNR says hummingbirds, like other species, need to build up body fat in order to make their large migration flights, so refueling locations like backyard feeders are important. One of the triggers for birds to migrate is day length, and regardless of food availability, they will migrate as the days grow shorter, say DNR officials. They say the best thing to do is to keep hummingbird feeders up for at least 10 days after you see your last hummingbird to make sure and provide food for any migrating stragglers.
To see an animated map of the annual Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration, CLICK HERE
