Louisiana Hummingbirds Migration: 14 Documented Blissful Aviators

Nine common questions about the migration of Louisiana hummingbirds are discussed in this article.

When Do Louisiana Hummingbirds Arrive?

The earliest arriving Louisiana hummingbirds are seen in late February, with peak migration occurring in March and April.
Louisiana hummingbirds begin their spring migration north from as far away as Panama or as close as Mexico.

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.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are by far the most commonly seen Louisiana hummingbirds, followed by the Rufous hummingbird.
Ruby-throated will be the first migrating hummingbirds to be seen in Louisiana.

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

Are There Louisiana Hummingbirds That Live in the State Year-round?

There are no hummingbird species that live in Louisiana year-round.
However, some Rufous, Black-chinned, and Broad-billed hummingbirds occasionally are seen in the middle of 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

Hummingbirds that can overwinter in Louisiana include:
Rufous, Black-chinned, and Broad-billed

These Louisiana hummingbirds that over-winter in the state will appreciate feeders as a supplement to the scarcity of natural nectar during the winter months.

Read my article:
How to Help Hummingbirds in Cold Weather

Which Louisiana hummingbirds Breed and Nest in the State?

The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird that breeds and nests in Louisiana, according to the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) for Louisiana hummingbirds.

The breeding season for the Ruby-throated hummingbird in Louisiana begins in March and peaks in April to June.

Ruby-throated – The Ruby-throated hummingbird has an extensive breeding area that covers the entire eastern half of the United States and extends into Canada as far west as Alberta.

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 Ruby-throated hummingbird will raise two families per year in Louisiana.
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 Louisiana Hummingbirds?

Louisiana hummingbird enthusiasts should put up hummingbird feeders in late-February to attract the very earliest arriving spring Ruby-throated hummingbirds.
The majority of Louisiana-bound spring migrating hummingbirds will arrive in May.

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

Keep feeders up throughout the hummingbird peak season from March through September.
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 Louisiana Hummingbirds Stay in the State?

The first migrating hummingbirds arrive in Louisiana in late February and the last migrating hummingbirds are usually gone by October.
No hummingbird species live in Louisiana year-round.

Hummingbird Seasons in Louisiana

Season:	Activity:
Late February – May	Spring migration first arriving (Ruby-throated)
March – July	Breeding and nesting season
July – September	Peak hummingbird activity
August – October	Fall migration
November – February	Rare overwintering species: (Rufous, Black-chinned, and Broad-billed)

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 Louisiana hummingbird seen during the hot summer months will be the Ruby-throated 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 August and most hummingbirds will be gone from Louisiana by October.

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 Rufous, along with some Black-chinned, and Broad-billed migratory hummingbirds can decide to sometimes spend the winter in Louisiana.

Louisiana 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 Louisiana Hummingbirds Leave the State?

During fall migration, Louisiana hummingbirds have left the state by October and have migrated to their over-wintering areas in Mexico and Central America.
No hummingbirds live in Louisiana year-round.

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 October.

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.

When Should I Take Down My Feeders For Louisiana Hummingbirds?

Late October, or after a few weeks without any hummingbird sightings, is the ideal time to remove Louisiana hummingbird feeders for the winter.
Feeders are left up all winter by some Louisianans to feed some Rufous, Black-chinned, and Broad-billed hummingbirds that overwinter or 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 a Louisiana Hummingbird to Migrate?

Louisiana hummingbirds require 16 hours of flying at its average migrating flight speed of 30mph to fly from Alexandria to the most distant USA/Mexican border 483 miles away.
Hummingbirds migrating to Panama, 1,747 miles across the Gulf of America, or 3,079 miles over land, will need to fly 58 or 103 hours respectively.

Some fly at a 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 America.

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 Louisiana Hummingbirds Go in the Winter?

Louisiana migrating hummingbirds travel south to over-winter in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Anna’s over-winter in upper Mexico and California.
Allen’s over-winter in lower Mexico and southern California.

Ruby-throated – The Ruby-throated hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA, including:
New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

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.

Black-chinned – The Black-chinned hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico.
These hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA, including:
Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and as far north as Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Buff-bellied – The Buff-bellied hummingbirds are not really migratory and live year-round in southern Texas and the Gulf Coast of Mexico.

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

Broad-tailed – The Broad-tailed hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico and Guatemala. Broad-tailed hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas in Western Texas.

Broad-billed – The Broad-billed hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico.
These hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA, including:
Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, Florida, and Utah.

Allen’s – The Allen’s hummingbird overwinters primarily in Southern California.
These hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA, including:
Texas, Tennessee, and as far north as Maryland, New York, and Wisconsin.

Anna’s – The Anna’s hummingbird overwinters primarily along the western coastline of North America, starting from southern Canada all the way to northern Baja California.
The rest of winter Anna’s residents are also seen in northern Mexico.

Blue-throated Mountain-gem – The Blue-throated Mountain-gem hummingbirds are not really migratory hummingbirds but reside in Mexico year-round.
Some Blue-throated hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas in southern Arizona and Western Texas.

Green-breasted Mango – The Green-breasted Mango hummingbird overwinters primarily in Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama.

Mexican Violetear – The Mexican violetear hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras.
These hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas throughout the USA, including Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana.

Rivoli’s – The Rivoli’s hummingbird overwinters primarily in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
Some Ravioli’s hummingbirds are seen in some years, during the winter months, in scattered areas of Southern Arizona and Western Texas.

Lucifer – The Lucifer hummingbird overwinters primarily in central Mexico, in the western half of the country.

To see all the hummingbirds seen in Louisiana
Read my article:
Louisiana Hummingbirds: 14 Awesome Documented Species

Happy Hummingbird Watching!

Check out my other posts on Hummingbird Questions