March: Heading North
In March migration is underway. Hummingbirds can't afford to be in too much of a hurry when they return to their breeding range in spring. There has to be food all along the way due to their tiny size and high metabolism. Hummingbirds can follow Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers north because those birds drill holes, called sapsucker wells, in trees as they migrate north. These tiny birds cannot survive a day without food, so sap running from the holes is important for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in early spring.

Image: Journey North