| Wintering in the United States Most hummingbirds of the United States and Canada migrate south in the fall to spend winter in Mexico or Central America. Within the last decade, research has shown that individual hummingbirds of a dozen species winter in the United States. They stay mostly in the Southwest, but are also being reported in the Southeast. Out-of-range-and-season sightings of hummingbirds are becoming increasingly common. Rufous Hummingbirds breed in western North America and winter in increasing numbers in the southeastern states, rather than in tropical Mexico. By migrating as far north as the Yukon or southern Alaska in the spring, Rufous hummers nest farther north than any other species and must adapt to occasional temperatures below freezing. This cold hardiness enables them to survive the cold, if they can find food and shelter. Rufous Hummingbirds are the most common species to winter in eastern states, but smaller numbers of other species are reported each year. A few species, such as Anna's and Buff-bellied Hummingbirds, are year-round residents in warm coastal and southern desert regions of the United States. Hummingbirds are overwintering on the Gulf Coast in greater numbers than in the past, and many can be found at feeders in South Texas and South Louisiana during mild winters. For example, in South Louisiana, several species are often spotted during the winter months, including the Ruby-Throated, Rufous, Black-Chinned, Buff-Bellied, Calliope, Allen's, Broad-Tailed, Anna's, and Broad-Billed. |
|
