Emily Chan
Rufous hummingbirds breed farther north than any other hummingbird. They frequent the West Coast and the Rocky Mountains.
Before starting migration, hummingbirds will typically gain 25 to 40 percent of their body weight to have enough energy to support their long flight, as food is nonexistent over the open waters.
Not all hummingbird species like to stay in the air for very long, though. Anna’s hummingbirds are one of the only species that doesn’t always migrate south to warmer regions during the winter. They stick around their natural habitat along the Pacific Coast.
They are also territorial, but some have been found outside their typical range before in places like southern Alaska, New York, Florida, Louisiana, and Newfoundland.
When temperatures drop, Anna’s hummingbirds gradually gain weight throughout the day by converting sugar to fat in order to stay warm.
Even hummingbirds with insufficient stores of body fat can survive cold weather by lowering their metabolic rate and entering a state of torpor.
If you want to help hummingbirds on their journeys, you can leave hummingbird feeders outside. They need to be replenished regularly and cleaned often because of the bacteria that can grow in them, which will make the hummingbirds sick.
The best way to help hummingbirds is to plant flowers from which they can sip nectar. Research what hummingbirds are in your area and provide them with native plants to feed on.
