Alaska Hummingbirds Migration: 5 Adorable Aviators

Nine common questions about migration are discussed in this article about hummingbirds in Alaska.

When Do Alaska Hummingbirds Arrive?

The earliest arriving Alaska hummingbirds are seen in Southeastern Alaska by mid-April, with peak spring migration in late April to May.
Alaska hummingbirds begin their spring migration north from as far away as Panama or as close as Mexico.

Alaska Hummingbirds
Key Spring Arrival Times

Spring Arrival Times:	Alaska Locations:
Late April to early May	Southeast Alaska (Juneau, Ketchikan)
Early to mid-May	Southcentral Alaska (Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula)
Mid to late May	Interior Alaska (Fairbanks)

The first migrating hummingbirds will be males, followed by females about a week later.
The males arrive first to stake out the territory that they will defend as they try to attract a female.

Rufous hummingbirds are by far the most commonly seen Alaska hummingbirds, and they will be the first migrating hummingbirds to be seen in Alaska.
Anna’s hummingbirds are the second most commonly seen hummingbird in Alaska.

Watch for the male’s vividly colored gorget; a week or so later, the females will begin to appear at your feeders.

See my article:
How to Identify a Hummingbird’s Gender in 4 Easy Steps

Alaska hummingbirds starting their spring migration north from Panama City, Panama need to fly about 4,250 miles.

Alaska hummingbirds starting their journey north from Mexico, at the United States’ southernmost border at Brownsville Texas, need to fly 3,300 miles to reach Alaska.

Are There Alaska Hummingbirds That Live In The State Year-Round?

The Anna’s hummingbird is the only documented Alaskan hummingbird that live in Alaska year-round according to the National Audubon Society (NAS) and the United States Department of Agriculture in Alaska (USDA).

The Anna’s hummingbird is found mainly in Southeast Alaska in areas of Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka.

Even though the Rufous hummingbird is the most commonly seen hummingbird in Alaska, they migrate south to Mexico for the winter.

The general public is unaware of how cold-tolerant hummingbirds actually are.
Some banded hummingbirds have been observed at temperatures as low as -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to eBird.org.

See my article:
3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

Which Alaska Hummingbirds Breed And Nest In The State?

The Rufous and Anna’s hummingbirds are the two species that breed and nest in Alaska.

Rufous – The Rufous hummingbird breeds primarily in the northwest along the Pacific coastline from Anchorage Alaska to San Francisco California.

Anna’s – The Anna’s hummingbird breeds primarily along the western coastline of North America from Vancouver, BC to the southernmost tip of Baja California and extending eastward in California, Nevada, Arizona, and into the western coast of upper Mexico.

The entire reason for northern migration, much like salmon swimming upstream to their place of birth to lay eggs, is to return to the area where they were born to mate, build a nest, and raise a family.
Once the breeding grounds have been reached, focus turns to finding a partner with which to mate.

Each species of male hummingbirds has its own unique mating dance ritual of courtship to attract a female. They do perfectly choreographed dives and dance maneuvers to attract a flirty female.

See my article: 
Hummingbird Dance: 5 Interpretive Explanations

There is no penetration during the mating ritual as male hummingbirds do not have any external sexual organs.

The mating process only lasts for approximately 3-5 seconds while the cloacae (kloh-ay-see) of both hummingbirds are pressed together in what is called the “Cloacal Kiss” (kloh-a-coal kiss).

After the Cloacal kiss, the female must begin building the nest immediately.
Female hummingbirds prefer building nests 10 to 20 feet off the ground in deciduous trees.
It will take her between 5 and 7 days to construct the nest of materials such as plant down, moss, and fine plant fibers, decorated with lichens and held together by spider webs.

See my article: 
Hummingbird Parents: (Mating to Nesting)

See my article: 
Baby Hummingbirds: (Egg to Fledgling)

Hummingbirds usually lay 2 eggs per brood, one each on consecutive days.

On average, the Rufous and Anna’s hummingbirds will raise two families per year in Alaska.
However, there are occasions where they are able to work in an additional family for a total of three families per year.

When Should I Put Up My Feeders For Alaska Hummingbirds?

Alaska hummingbird enthusiasts should put up hummingbird feeders in mid-April to attract the very earliest arriving migrating hummingbirds.
However, keep feeders up year-round for Anna’s hummingbirds that overwinter in Alaska.

Approximately one week after the arrival of the male hummingbirds, the females will follow.

Keep feeders up all year for the year-round Anna’s hummingbird and those too old or injured to migrate.
Make sure to use high-quality nectar solutions in your hummingbird feeders; homemade nectar works best.

See my article:
Forget Commercial Hummingbird Food, Try Making Homemade Nectar

See my article:
The One Thing You Need to Eliminate From a Hummingbird’s Diet

Clean feeders regularly (every 2-3 days in hot weather) to prevent mold and bacteria.
Place feeders in partially shaded areas to keep nectar fresh longer.

How Long Do Alaska Hummingbirds Stay In The State?

Alaska hummingbirds stay in the state for at least five months.
They will start arriving as early as mid-April and most will be gone in mid-to-late September.
The Anna’s hummingbird is a year-round resident to Alaska.

Hummingbirds have exceptional memories and will remember every flower or feeder they visited on the spring migration and will return to those nectar sources on their return southern migration in the fall.

See my article: 
Hummingbird Adaptation and Remarkable Ability to Locate Food

The most common Alaska hummingbird seen during the hot summer months will be the Rufous hummingbird
Anna’s hummingbird are the second most commonly seen Alaskan hummingbird.

When the obstacles of summer heat are difficult to manage and unbearable, finding ways to keep your hummingbirds happy and hydrated with cool nectar is crucial.

See my article:
How to Help Hummingbirds in Hot Weather

Fall migration begins in late July and most hummingbirds will be gone from Alaska by September.

The general public is unaware of how tolerant hummingbirds actually are.
Some banded hummingbirds have been observed at temperatures as low as -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -36 degrees Fahrenheit, according to eBird.org.

The extremely cold-tolerant Anna’s hummingbird is the only year-round hummingbird that spends the winter in Alaska.

Alaska hummingbird enthusiast will keep feeders up during the winter in rare times for those hummingbirds too old or injured to migrate.

See my article: 
11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

When Do Alaska Hummingbirds Leave The State?

During fall migration, Alaskan hummingbirds begin leaving the state as early as late July and by mid-to-late September they have migrated to their over-wintering areas in Mexico and Central America.
Anna’s hummingbirds are year-round residents to Alaska.

A few older hummingbirds will be the first to start the fall migration depending on their strength and energy, with the youngest hummingbirds finishing the fall migration by the end of September.

Hummingbird migration is triggered by the circadian (internal daily clock) and the circannual (yearly internal clock) rhythm.
Changes in the weather, temperature, time of season, decline in food supply and shorter days with less sunlight are factors that influence the beginning of fall migration.

Similar to spring migration, male hummingbirds are the first to leave and head south for the winter during fall migration.
As soon as the female hummingbirds have finished raising their young and can travel independently, they will set out on their southern fall migration.

According to Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), banding practices were used to monitor a new record-setting Rufous hummingbird migration from Tallahassee, Florida and later recaptured in Chenega Bay, Alaska traveling over 3,500 miles.

When Should I Take Down My Feeders For Alaska Hummingbirds?

Mid-to-late September, or after a few weeks without any hummingbird sightings, is the ideal time to remove Alaskan hummingbird feeders for the winter.

Feeders are left up all winter by some Alaskans to feed the year-round Anna’s hummingbird and those that are too old or injured to migrate.

Hummingbirds that depend on these wintertime feeders may die if hummingbird feeders are taken down in the middle of winter during periods of below-freezing temperatures.

See my article: 
11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

The dilemma hummingbird enthusiasts struggle with every year is whether to leave the hummingbird feeders up all year or take them down during the winter.

See my article:
Should I Keep My Hummingbird Feeder Out During the Winter?

How Long Does It Take Alaska Hummingbirds To Migrate?

It takes an Alaska hummingbird about 110 hours of flying at its average migrating flight speed of 30mph to fly from Alaska to the most distant Mexican border 3,300 miles away.
Hummingbirds migrating to Panama 4,250 miles away, will need to fly 141 hours.

Hummingbirds do not migrate in flocks as do other migrating birds.
Hummingbirds migrate individually on their own personal time clock.
This staggered migration pattern ensures resources are not consumed and depleted all at one time.

As migration approaches, hummingbirds routinely gain 25% to 50% of their body weight by consuming increased quantities of nectar from feeders and flowering plants as well as catching an increased quantity of bugs mid-air for protein.
This increase in body fat helps fuel the hummingbird on its long migration journey.

The hummingbirds that visited your feeders during the spring migration will remember exactly where your feeder is located and will most likely revisit that same feeder on their way to their over-wintering area in Mexico and Central America.

Maintaining feeders is critical in order to maximize food consumption that nourishes and prepares their bodies for migration.

See my article: 
Hummingbird Adaptation and Remarkable Ability to Locate Food

Where Do Alaska Hummingbirds Go In The Winter?

Alaska’s migrating Rufous, some Anna’s, Costa’s, Calliope, and Ruby-throated hummingbirds travel south to over-winter in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

Rufous – The Rufous hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico.
These hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA including New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Anna’s – The Anna’s hummingbird overwinters primarily in Southern California and the upper parts of Baja and Mexico.
These hummingbirds are seen in some years, during winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA including Texas, Missouri, Illinois (Chicago area), Maryland, Utah, Idaho, and Alaska.

Costa’s – The Costa’s hummingbird overwinters primarily in Southern California, Southern Arizona, Baja California, and the Western Coast of Mexico.
These hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in Nevada and Utah.

Calliope – The Calliope hummingbird overwinters primarily on the west coast of Mexico.
These hummingbirds are seen in some years, during winter months, in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Ruby-throated: The Ruby-throated hummingbird primarily overwinters in southern Mexico and Central America with scattered areas in the USA in Texas, Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

To see all the hummingbirds seen in Alaska
Read my article:
Alaska Hummingbirds: 5 Awesome Documented Species

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions