Hummingbirds: Migratory Habits

Hummingbirds are migratory species of bird, and the different varieties vary greatly. They also differ greatly with regard to their habitat. Some of the points, however, in which all hummingbirds are similar, and which relate to their migratory habits, are listed below.

-All hummingbirds are migratory in habit; it is hormonal alterations which trigger this need. This is in turn activated by an alteration in the daylight hours. The reduction in daylight hours as winter approaches tells the birds' body clocks that they need to start heading south.

-The hummingbirds all migrate to similar locations; most of them head for Mexico for the winter months. Others travel to Florida, whilst many other birds choose the Panama region instead.

-All types of hummingbird have similar diets. They are small birds with a long journey ahead of them, and they stock up for the journey in advance by consuming large quantities of insects and nectar.

-Hummingbirds are tiny creatures; this actually works as a protection mechanism, because many predators are looking for larger birds, with more meat on them. The smaller hummingbird is often ignored and therefore less in danger of becoming someone's meal.

-Unlike ducks and geese, which travel in flocks when migrating, for the safety it provides, hummingbirds prefer to travel alone. This is because there is no advantage for them in traveling with a large group. Using their tiny size as a protection from predators means that they are safer traveling alone.

-They do however travel at much the same time as each other, so you may see one bird, or several, traveling at the same time but not actually together. They may also cross the flight path of other hummingbirds which are making a similar journey.

-Most hummingbirds have similar times for flying and resting. They usually fly in the daylight and then rest during the night. The ruby throated hummingbird, however, is an exception, because it travels non-stop until it reaches its destination, which is the Gulf of Mexico.

-Hummingbirds prefer a warmer climate, however they do need to travel northwards when the time comes for mating.

-Hummingbirds all travel at around the same speed. At this speed it takes them about 14 days to reach Panama from the United States, or between 5 and 10 days to get to the Gulf Coast.

-The migration is timed to co-ordinate with the spring, so that they are in time to mate and build their nests. This means that their migratory flight needs to be timed so that they will arrive when the flowers are blooming.

-The males migrate first, and the females follow on afterwards. The males then put on an impressive display in flight, which is intended to attract the females into their territory to breed with them.

-During their migration hummingbirds are constantly in danger from food scarcity, storms, predators and so on. This, coupled with their tiny size, means that they are an extremely courageous little bird, with great strength of will, in order to cover the huge distances they need to travel.

Overall, hummingbirds are tiny little birds which we could learn a lot from, and which certainly deserve our respect and admiration.