Hummingbird Migration in Nevada

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When Do Hummingbirds Arrive in Nevada?

Nevada’s 7 migrating hummingbirds begin arriving as early as the beginning of March and continue north to their preferred nesting area, somewhere near their own birth.
Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds are year-round residents and they will be seen in Nevada before the spring migration hummingbirds arrive.

The last of the spring migrating hummingbirds are gone by mid-June, however, many will stay in Nevada for the rest of the summer.

Nevada has two year-round residents; the Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds.

What Are The Most Common Hummingbirds Seen In Nevada?

• 44% of hummingbirds seen in Nevada are Anna’s
• 20% of hummingbirds seen in Nevada are Costa’s
• 19% of hummingbirds seen in Nevada are Black-chinned
• 8% of hummingbirds seen in Nevada are Broad-tailed
• 6% of hummingbirds seen in Nevada are Rufous
• 2.6% of hummingbirds seen in Nevada are Calliope
• 0.4% will be Broad-billed, Allen’s, or Rivoli’s.

The most common hummingbirds seen in Nevada are the Anna’s, Costa’s, and Black-chinned Hummingbirds.

On average, out of 10,000 hummingbird sightings in Nevada, 4,435 will be Anna’s, 2,009 will be Costa’s, and 1,939 will be Black-chinned hummingbird sightings.

Beginning their northern journey from as far away as Panama, or as close as Mexico, migrating hummingbirds arrive in Nevada at the beginning of March. Some late migrators may arrive as late as mid-May, but by the end of June, all hummingbirds that are migrating further than Nevada, are gone from Nevada.

The first migrating hummingbirds will be males followed by the 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.

Keep your eye out for the brightly colored gorget of the male, the females will start showing up at your feeders about a week later.
See my article: How to Identify a Hummingbird’s Gender in 4 Easy Steps

Hummingbirds starting their spring migration from Panama need to fly about 3,000 miles to reach the middle of Nevada.

Hummingbirds starting their journey from Mexico need to fly about 600 miles to reach Nevada.

What Hummingbirds Breed and Nest in Nevada?

• Anna’s hummingbirds breed and nest in Nevada
• Black-chinned hummingbirds breed and nest in Nevada
• Broad-tailed hummingbirds breed and nest in Nevada
• Calliope hummingbirds breed and nest in Nevada
• Costa’s hummingbirds breed and nest in Nevada

See Nevada breeding maps:

• Anna’s Hummingbird breeding map
• Black-chinned hummingbird breeding map
• Broad-tailed hummingbird breeding map
• Calliope hummingbird breeding map
• Costa’s hummingbird breeding map

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. There the female builds a nest, mates, and raises a family.

Once the female hummingbird reaches the breeding grounds the focus turns to building a nest and then finding a partner with which to mate.

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)

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

The hummingbird 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.

Most hummingbirds have 2 broods per year, but depending on migration timing and day-length time in their nesting destinations, some hummingbirds can have more than 2 broods per year.

In Nevada, nesting hummingbirds usually have 2 broods per year but some may have time to work in a third brood.

When Should I Put Out Hummingbird Feeders in Nevada?

Nevada hummingbird enthusiasts should put out hummingbird feeders in the middle of February to attract the earliest arriving migrating hummingbirds.
Many leave their hummingbird feeders up all year for Nevada’s year-round residents; the Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds.

Male hummingbirds will be the first to arrive followed by female hummingbirds about a week later.

Migrating hummingbirds will continue to arrive until about mid-June.
Hummingbirds seen in Nevada after mid-June will be hummingbirds that will spend their entire summer in Nevada.

Be sure to fill your hummingbird feeders with good quality nectar solutions, making your own feeder nectar is 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

How Long Do Hummingbirds Stay in Nevada?

Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds live in Nevada year-round.
Nevada’s migrating hummingbirds will start arriving at the beginning of March and most will be gone by October.

Hummingbirds are much more cold tolerant than most people believe.
According to eBird.org, some banded hummingbirds have been documented in temperatures of -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -36 degrees Fahrenheit.

Nevada’s year-round hummingbirds, (Anna’s and Costa’s) and some normally migrating seasonal hummingbirds choosing to over-winter in Nevada, or are too old or injured to migrate, will be the hummingbirds Nevada’s hummingbird enthusiasts will see during the winter.

Hummingbirds have exceptional memories and will remember every flower or feeder they visited during the spring migration and will return to those nectar sources on their return to southern migration in the fall.
See my article: Hummingbird Adaptation and Remarkable Ability to Locate Food

The most common hummingbirds Nevadans will see during the hot summer months will be the Anna’s and Costa’s.

When the obstacles of the summer heat are difficult to manage and unbearable, finding ways to keep your hummingbirds happy and hydrated with cool nectar can be critical.
See my article: How to Help Hummingbirds in Hot Weather

When Do Hummingbirds Leave Nevada?

Nevada’s migrating hummingbirds begin leaving the state in early September, migrating to their over-wintering areas in Mexico and Central America.
Most of Nevada’s migrating hummingbirds are gone by the end of October but a few stragglers might stay until the end of the year.

Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds live in Nevada year-round.

The older hummingbirds will be the first to start the fall migration with the youngest hummingbirds finishing the fall migration, according to an article from the University of Southern Mississippi.

This elongated migration time frame ensures late straggling migrants have enough food available to fuel their bodies before making the long taxing migration south for the winter.

Some migrating hummingbirds Nevadans will possibly see during the winter are migrating hummingbirds that are too old or injured to migrate.

Hummingbird migration is triggered by the circadian (internal daily clock) and the circannual (yearly internal clock) rhythm.

Changes in the weather, temperature, time of the season, the decline in the food supply, and decreased amount of sunlight because of shortening days are all factors that trigger an individual hummingbird’s instinct to migrate.

As with spring migration, male hummingbirds are the first to begin the southern migration in the fall. The female migrating hummingbirds will begin their southern fall migration as soon as they have completed raising their offspring to the ability to migrate themselves.

How Long Does It Take a Nevada Hummingbird to Migrate?

It takes a Nevada hummingbird about 20 hours of flying at its average migrating flight speed of 30mph to fly from  Nevada to the Mexican border 600 miles away.
Hummingbirds migrating to Panama 3,000 miles away, will need to fly 100 hours.

Some fly at the relaxed distance as slow as 1 hour per day, others fly up to 500 miles non-stop in about 20 hours as some do while migrating across the Gulf of Mexico.

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.

Expect to see an increased volume of southern migrating hummingbird visitors to your feeders in Nevada during this fall migration from September through October.

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

When To Take Down Hummingbird Feeders in Nevada?

The best time to take down hummingbird feeders for the winter in Nevada is mid-to-late November or when no hummingbirds have been seen at the feeders for a couple of weeks.
Many Nevadans leave feeders up all winter to feed year-round residents, Anna’s and Costa’s, and those too old or injured to migrate.

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.

Some Nevada hummingbird admirers leave hummingbird feeders up all winter long to provide life-nourishing nectar to Nevadans year-round residents, Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds, as well as some seasonal hummingbirds that choose to stay in Nevada for the winter, namely the Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, and Rufous hummingbirds.

Most Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, and Rufous hummingbirds will not spend the winter in Nevada and will decide to migrate south to Mexico for the winter.

The selfless act of keeping hummingbird feeders up all winter also provides nectar to other migrating species unable to migrate because of injury or old age.
See my article: 11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing
See my article: Should I Keep My Hummingbird Feeder Out During the Winter?

Hummingbird enthusiasts that leave hummingbird feeders up all winter provide much-welcomed nutrition for year-round, migrating, and hummingbirds too old or injured to migrate.

Hummingbirds are much more tolerant of cold temperatures than most people realize.

According to eBird.org, some banded hummingbirds have been documented in temperatures of -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill of -36 degrees Fahrenheit.
See my article:  3 Reasons Why Hummingbirds Are Banded

Taking hummingbird feeders down mid-winter during episodes of below-freezing temperatures could be fatal to hummingbirds depending on these winter-time feeders.
See my article: 11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

Where Do Nevada Hummingbirds Go in The Winter?

Nevada resident hummingbirds, Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds, remain in Nevada over the winter.
Nevada migrating hummingbirds travel south to over-winter in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

All hummingbirds have excellent memories and can remember every flower or feeder they visited during spring migration and will return to those locations along their migration pathway year after year.

Some hummingbirds have been documented returning to a feeder for a couple of years after it was removed.
See my article: Hummingbird Adaptation and Remarkable Ability to Locate Food

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

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