Hummingbird Migration in Wisconsin

This post contains affiliate links.

When Do Hummingbirds Arrive in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin migrating hummingbirds begin arriving at the end of April on their journey north to their preferred nesting area, somewhere near their own birth. Spring migration is completed by mid-June.
Hummingbirds that are still in Wisconsin after mid-June will spend the summer in Wisconsin before migrating south in the fall.

This time frame is supported by an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal newspaper.

While Ruby-throated and Rufous hummingbirds are the most common hummingbirds seen in Wisconsin, others of that species do migrate further north.

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

Wisconsin’s spring migrating hummingbirds, including the Ruby-throated and Rufous, continue their way north and into the eastern half of the United States, all the way into Canada.

Beginning their northern journey from as far away as Panama, or as close as Mexico, migrating hummingbirds arrive in Wisconsin as early as the end of April but by mid-June, all migrating hummingbirds are gone from Wisconsin.
Many will spend their summer in Wisconsin.

The first migrating hummingbirds will be males followed by the females about a week later. The males arrive first to stake out his territory that he will defend as he tries 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 Wisconsin.

Hummingbirds starting their journey from Mexico need to fly about 1,550 miles to reach Wisconsin.

While Rufous hummingbirds are seen year-round, they do not nest in Wisconsin.
Rufous hummingbirds are documented by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal newspaper as still being seen in Wisconsin as late in the winter as January.

The only hummingbird that lives and nests in Wisconsin, according to eBird.org, is the Ruby-throated hummingbird, all other hummingbirds seen in Wisconsin are just passing through to their nesting destination.

Even though Ruby-throated hummingbirds live and nest in Wisconsin some of them also will be just passing through Wisconsin to their own personal nesting destination of choice.

The Ruby-throated hummingbird’s breeding range includes the entire eastern half of the United States from southern Texas into Canada.

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, the 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 egg per day on consecutive days.

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

In Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin?

Hummingbird enthusiasts in Wisconsin should put out hummingbird feeders at the beginning of April to attract the earliest arriving migrating hummingbirds.

Some Wisconsinite hummingbird admirers leave hummingbird feeders up all winter long to provide life-nourishing nectar to the most commonly seen residents in Wisconsin, the Ruby-throated and Rufous hummingbirds.

This selfless act 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

How Long Do Hummingbirds Stay in Wisconsin?

Some Ruby-throated and Rufous hummingbirds stay in Wisconsin year-round. The first north migrating hummingbirds arrive in Wisconsin in early April and the last south migrating hummingbirds in the fall to leave Wisconsin are gone by late October.

Wisconsin year-round resident, the Ruby-throated hummingbird, and the commonly seen Rufous hummingbird along with hummingbirds too old or injured to migrate will be the only hummingbirds Wisconsinites will see during the winter.

Rufous hummingbirds are very cold tolerant and have been documented by eBird.org in temperatures of -9 degrees Fahrenheit with a wind chill factor of -36 degrees Fahrenheit.

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

Wisconsinites may see any of the listed hummingbirds during the hot summer months but the Ruby-throated and Rufous will be the most commonly seen hummingbirds. 

When the obstacles of 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 Wisconsin?

Wisconsin’s migrating hummingbirds begin leaving the state in late July, migrating south to their over-wintering areas in Mexico and Central America. Most migrating hummingbirds will all be gone from Wisconsin by late October, but the Ruby-throated and Rufous have been documented as still in Wisconsin as late as January.

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.

The only hummingbirds Wisconsinites will see during the winter are the year-round Ruby-throated and Rufous hummingbirds, and possibly some 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 Wisconsin Hummingbird to Migrate?

It takes a Wisconsin hummingbird about 52 hours of flying at its average migrating flight speed of 30 mph to fly from Wisconsin to the Mexican border 1,550 miles away.
Hummingbirds migrating to Panama, 4,000 miles away, will require 133 hours to make the journey south.

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 hummingbird visitors to your feeders in Wisconsin during this fall migration beginning as early as July as those hummingbirds that migrated north of Wisconsin fly back through Wisconsin on their fall migration.

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 Feeder in Wisconsin?

The best time to take down hummingbird feeders in Wisconsin for the winter is the end of October or when there have been no consistent hummingbirds at the feeders for a couple of weeks.
Feeders can be up all winter to feed Wisconsin year-round residents and those migrating hummingbirds too old or injured to migrate.

The dilemma every hummingbird enthusiast struggles with every year is leaving the hummingbird feeders up all year or taking them down during the winter.
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 commonly seen Wisconsin hummingbirds, the Ruby-throated and Rufous hummingbird, as well as life-saving nutrition for migrating hummingbirds too old or injured to migrate.

Taking hummingbird feeders down mid-winter could be fatal for migrating hummingbirds too old or injured to migrate.
See my article: 11 DIY Ways to Keep Hummingbird Nectar From Freezing

Where Do Wisconsin Hummingbirds Go in The Winter?

Wisconsin’s 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.

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

Some hummingbirds have been documented returning to a feeder for a couple of years after it was removed.

See my article: Hummingbirds Found in Wisconsin: (Pictures and Sounds)

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

Backyard Visitors is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We also participate in other affiliate programs which compensate us for referring traffic.