
Hi Gang,
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are migrating north! Yesterday, March 31, 2025, a number were reported from a variety of locations in Virginia!
We were away for a week (we went from Spring unfolding in South Jersey to full on WINTER in northern Minnesota), and just got home. So, yesterday afternoon I scrambled to get ready for returning hummingbirds (make hummingbird solution, fill a few feeders, and place them strategically where they could easily be seen by hummingbirds and from inside our house).
You can monitor Ruby-throated Hummingbird migration north (AND enter your own sightings) on the 2025 Hummingbird Central map and on the Journey North map. When you go to each of these sites, be sure to set the date for these migration maps to 2025.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have been surging north from their wintering grounds (northern Panama and Costa Rica, north to southern Mexico) since mid-February and March. They will steadily move north with each good migration weather day, the opening of important nectar plants, and warm enough days with insect life.
Native nectar sources that I planted for hummingbirds and other pollinators will soon bloom: Coral Honeysuckle, Wild Columbine, and Red Buckeye to name a few.
Why Feeders?
You might wonder why I recommend putting out a hummingbird feeder, which is obviously an artificial nectar source. When hummingbirds arrive, my garden is still dirt! Without well-maintained feeders, “on-the-move” Ruby-throated Hummingbirds will keep going. Nothing much is in bloom.
Why More Than 1 Feeder?
In spring, once hummingbirds have arrived I have a total of 6-8 feeders scattered around our yard, so that returning males (they migrate first) can’t take control of our entire wildlife habitat. I want females to settle in too and consider nesting in our yard. I’ll space the feeders out. I put one feeder on each end of my front porch (and enjoy them from the front porch rockers). I hang one from a shepherd’s hook on our back porch, easily viewed from the kitchen and sunroom. I hang one from the arbor into our perennial garden. I hang one from a tree limb at the back of our garden. And I hang one at the back of our woods. This way females will have options, places to set up their own territory and nest in our yard, away from bossy, territorial males (who DO NOT share, even with females they’ve mated with). When activity picks up I add two more, one outside my office window and one outside our screened porch.
The Proper Solution for a Hummingbird Feeder
The solution I use (that is most like nectar) is 1 part sugar and 4 parts water. I make a quart at a time and refrigerate what’s left. I’ll only put two ounces into each feeder in the spring (and in late fall) because use is light and the last thing any of us want to do is waste sugar (sugar cane fields are gobbling up important habitat). I mark my calendar so that each week, like clockwork, I empty and clean the feeders with hot soapy water, then rinse them with boiling water, and then put in 2 ounces of fresh solution (when temperatures heat up, I clean the feeders every 3 days). NO red dye is necessary; the feeders have enough bright red parts to attract hummers and red dye is cancer causing (and outlawed in many countries). Hummingbirds have long tongues and can easily reach the 2 ounces of solution. I don’t fill the feeders with more solution until activity gets crazy and that doesn’t happen until young are on the wing and during migration when so many birds are tanking up and moving through our habitat.
Keep an eye on Journey North’s Ruby-throated Hummingbird MAP and on Hummingbird Central’s MAP to see their movement north so you are ready for them.
The site I recommended for 23 years, Hummingbirds.Net, is still available. On this site you can view 23 years of spring migration maps (1996-2018) for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, but there have been no LIVE maps since 2018. The creator of this great website is no longer able to maintain it because of technical (and expensive) changes (his explanation can be read at the top of the page HERE).
If you are a new wildlife gardener, be sure to also provide:
- a pesticide-free property (since hummingbirds also feast on soft-bodied insects and spiders)
- a habitat filled with native perennials, trees, shrubs, and vines that provide nectar attractive to hummingbirds from spring thru late fall!
Some Sources of Native Plants in 2025
We are so fortunate to have a number of native plant sales and reputable nurseries in this region. Be sure to support them. I am actively working to update my post with 2025 sources, but in the meantime you’ll find reputable & knowledgeable native plant growers here : “Some Sources of Native Plants: 2024“.
All About Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds
To read more about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds check out my additional post below. You may also want to print my Ruby-throated Hummingbird Fact Sheet (the reverse side covers Hummingbird Feeder maintenance and gardening for hummingbird info).
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds – Part One: They’re Back
- my favorite hummingbird feeder (nature centers sell them, as does Amazon)
- spring nectar plants that have worked for me in the Mid-Atlantic Region to lure hummingbirds to settle in and nest in your yard.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds – Part Two: Summer Nectar – COMING WHEN I CAN CATCH MY BREATH:
- summer nectar for the Mid-Atlantic Region including many natives and a few non-natives (that are not problematic).
- proper feeder maintenance during the heat of summer
- the importance of insects
- places to bathe
Happy Wildlife Gardening, Pat