Thousands Of Hummingbirds Are Headed Straight For Louisiana This Fall

They spend the winter in Central America and Mexico and the summer in different parts of the United States. Not all hummingbirds migrate, but a good chunk of them do, including the ones in Louisiana.

And we’re about to enter their fall migration. You may have already noticed an uptick in how many of these little beauties you’ve seen around your garden.

During the migration, you could see all sorts of different hummingbirds stop by to refuel on their journey southwards.

They fly alone and typically take the exact same path, year after year. They can travel as many as 23 miles in one day and are experts at using the trade winds to consume less energy.

Basically, as the temperatures get cooler, the hummingbirds fly further south. Since Louisiana doesn’t tend to see those cold front blast through until October (at least), hummingbirds have been known to stick around until the end of September.

During migration, their heart beats up to 1,260 times a minute! In order for them to maintain such high energy levels, they will gain anywhere from 25%-40% of their body weight before they start migrating.

Hummingbirds also eat small insects, spiders, and, of course, nectar. If you happen to have any lantana, pentas, or zinnias in your yard, you’re already attracting them!

To make your own nectar for your feeder, all you’ll need is sugar and water. Mix one part sugar to four parts water, let it dissolve, and it’s ready to put into your feeder. You do not need to add any coloring to the water as this can be harmful to the birds. They will find the feeder just fine without tinting the mixture.