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When Do Hummingbirds Arrive in West Virginia?
West Virginia’s migrating hummingbirds begin arriving as early as late March and continue north to their preferred nesting area, somewhere near their own birth.
The last of West Virginia’s spring migrating hummingbirds are gone by mid-June, however, many will stay for the rest of the summer.
The most common hummingbird seen in West Virginia is the Ruby-throated hummingbird followed by a very distant second most common, the Rufous hummingbird.
On average, out of 10,000 hummingbird sightings in West Virginia, 9,932 will be Ruby-throated while only 60 will be a Rufous hummingbird.
Beginning their northern journey from as far away as Panama or as close as Mexico, migrating hummingbirds arrive in West Virginia in late March, some late migrators may arrive as late as mid-May, but by the end of June, all hummingbirds that are migrating further than West Virginia are gone from West Virginia.
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 4,000 miles to reach West Virginia following the coastline but they can shorten that distance to 2,000 miles if they elect to make the long flight across the Gulf of Mexico.
What Hummingbirds Breed and Nest in West Virginia?
There is only one hummingbird that breeds and nests in West Virginia, the Ruby-throated hummingbird.
See: Ruby-throated 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)
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 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).
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 West Virginia, 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 West Virginia?
West Virginia hummingbird enthusiasts should put out hummingbird feeders in the middle of March to attract the earliest arriving migrating hummingbirds.
Some West Virginia hummingbird enthusiasts leave their hummingbird feeders up all year for the brave hummingbirds or those too old or injured to migrate.
There are no hummingbird species that is documented as living in West Virginia all year long, but the Ruby-throated hummingbird has been documented in West Virginia as late as in the month of January.
See my article: Hummingbirds Found in West Virginia: (Pictures and Sounds)
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 West Virginia after mid-June will be hummingbirds that will spend their entire summer in West Virginia.
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 West Virginia?
Hummingbirds are documented in West Virginia as early as March and as late as January.
On average, West Virginia’s hummingbirds will start arriving in late March and most will be gone by mid-October.
No hummingbirds have been documented as living in West Virginia year-round.
Some brave Ruby-throated hummingbirds that may choose to over-winter in West Virginia, or those too old or injured to migrate, will be the only likely hummingbirds West Virginian hummingbird enthusiasts will see during the winter.
The most likely migrating hummingbird that might choose to spend the winter in West Virginia would be a Rufous hummingbird but Rufous hummingbirds are a rare sight even in the height of hummingbird season.
Rufous hummingbirds have been documented in temperatures of -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind-chill factor of -36 degrees.
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 to southern migration in the fall.
See my article: Hummingbird Adaptation and Remarkable Ability to Locate Food
The most common hummingbirds West Virginians will see during the hot summer months will be Ruby-throated hummingbirds with the Rufous hummingbirds being a very distant second most common sighting.
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 West Virginia?
West Virginia’s migrating hummingbirds begin leaving the state in early September, migrating south to their over-wintering areas in Mexico and Central America.
West Virginia’s Migrating hummingbirds will all be gone by mid-October.
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 West Virginians 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 West Virginia Hummingbird to Migrate?
West Virginia hummingbirds need 53 hours of flying at their average migrating flight speed of 30 mph to fly to the most distant Mexican border 1,600 miles away.
West Virginia Hummingbirds migrating to Panama 4,000 miles away above land or 2,000 across the Gulf of Mexico, will need to fly 113 or 66 hours respectively.
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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia?
The best time to take down hummingbird feeders for the winter in West Virginia is mid-to-late November or when no hummingbirds have been seen at the feeders for a couple of weeks.
Some West Virginians leave feeders up all winter to feed over-wintering hummingbirds 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 West Virginia hummingbird admirers leave hummingbird feeders up all winter long to provide life-nourishing nectar to West Virginians only likely winter residents, a Ruby-throated hummingbird or the very rare Rufous hummingbird.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds have been documented in West Virginia as late in the winter as January.
Most Ruby-throated or Rufous hummingbirds will not spend the winter in West Virginia 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 West Virginia Hummingbirds Go in The Winter?
West Virginia migrating hummingbirds travel south to over-winter in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
West Virginia has no documented year-round hummingbird residents.
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
See my article: Hummingbirds Found in West Virginia: (Pictures and Sounds)
Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions
Happy Hummingbird Watching!
Photo by: Rekha Pawar
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