Hummingbirds return to Alabama for spring

Yesterday marked the first day of spring, which means warmer weather, blooming flowers and hummingbirds!

These fast-flyers are making their way back to Alabama, so keep reading to learn about their journey + how to attract them to your home.

2025 Spring Migration

Hummingbirds have two migratory seasons: fall and spring. You’ll commonly see ruby-throated hummingbirds arrive in Alabama mid-March to mid-April and leave in September-October when the weather cools down.

“They’ll overwinter in Mexico and Costa Rica. When they return to Alabama they’ll fly over the Gulf of Mexico and can cover many miles because of how fast they can fly.”

Scot Duncan, Executive Director of Alabama Audubon

How to attract hummingbirds to your home

If you’re hoping to turn your garden into a hummingbird utopia, you’ll need the right conditions.

You’ll want plants that:

• Are long and tubular
• Hang down or point downward
• Have red or orange petals

These plants most commonly attract hummingbirds:

• Bee balm
• Cardinal flower
• Trumpet creeper
• Coral honeysuckle
• Columbine

How to make hummingbird nectar

If you plan on using a hummingbird feeder, you’ll need to make a safe, edible nectar.

You’ll need a syrup that is twenty percent sucrose. That is roughly one cup of granulated white sugar dissolved in four cups of water.

DO NOT:

• Add red food coloring
• Substitute honey for sugar
• Place a feeder next to a window.

It is vital to hummingbirds’ health that feeders are cleaned and refilled at least twice a week.

“It’s important to frequently clean hummingbird feeders to prevent the spreading of diseases—like avian flu.”

Scot Duncan, Executive Director of Alabama Audubon

Hummingbirds are also territorial and will chase others away from a feeder. If you have more than one, space each feeder about fifteen to twenty-feet apart.

Hummingbird fun facts

There are over three hundred types of hummingbirds in the world. In Alabama, you’ll find the Rufous Hummingbird and common Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.

“Hummingbirds are among the smallest birds, and their iridescent feathers are unique compared to other birds.”

Scot Duncan, Executive Director of Alabama Audubon

Check out these other fun facts:

• A Ruby-Throated Hummingbird’s heart can beat 225 times per minute when the bird is at rest and can increase to more than 1,200 times per minute when flying
• Hummingbirds weigh between two to twenty grams— roughly the weight of a penny to the weight of a AA battery
• Their wings can beat between fifty to eighty times per second and they can fly up to sixty miles per hour
• Because of all the calories they burn while flying, they typically feed about four times an hour

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