Hummingbird Migration: Citizen Scientists Track Hummingbird Migration with Journey North

Hummingbirds

Migration News: February 19, 2016
By Mary Hosier

Welcome to Journey North's 23rd season! For years citizen scientists have reported Rufous hummingbirds in the southeastern US in winter. This week we'll examine what experts are saying about western birds wintering in the U.S.

Rufous hummingbird Debbie Stika

Winter Sightings

Winter hummingbird sightings have been reported along coastal states and as far north as Connecticut in the East and and Washington in the West.

Ohio
"A hummingbird arrived a few weeks ago, way after the regulars had left."
Goshen 11/08/15

Washington
"How do they do that? We have high winds with 45mph gusts and a stinging drizzle of rain. But the hummingbirds were playing."
Bellingham 11/12/15

Pennsylvania
"I have been seeing a female Rufous here since 10/21/15. "Nutmeg" (my name) was last seen at 5:05pm on Monday, 01/04/16. "
Lykens 01/04/16

Texas
"Just saw one. Came to an empty feeder. I made food and put it out. Have not seen another."
Dripping Springs 01/29/16

Regulars Gone
Lee Gruber

Wind and Wings
John Doerper

Q & A: Wintering Rufous Hummingbirds
Conventional wisdom was that the only hummingbird in the eastern U.S. was the ruby-throated, and they all migrated to the tropics in the winter. Today the important work of bird banders allows us to monitor visiting winter vagrants and learn more about hummingbird behavior.

Rufous Hummingbirds Wintering in the US

Rufous 12/16/15 Connecticut

Scott Weidensaul, Diana Burgess, Fred Bassett

Explore: What Do We Know?

Read the interview with the hummingbird banders. Explore the maps for data and gather information from various sources. Describe what you learned.

Journal Page

Tracking Migration: Maps


What to Report	Ruby-throated map \| animation \| sightings	Rufous map \| animation \| sightings

Other Species map \| animation \| sightings	Other Observations map \| list	Nectaring map \| list

Next Update February 26, 2016