Keep Your Eyes Peeled, Thousands of Hummingbirds are Headed Right for Colorado During Their Migration This Spring

The world is a place that is constantly changing. Luckily for us, there are a few things we can always count on like beautiful summers, chilly winters, and colorful springs. Speaking of spring, there's another thing we can always count on: the wonderful arrival of thousands of hummingbirds in Colorado, in droves, during their annual migration. That's right, they're coming soon, so prepare your best hummingbird feeders. When do hummingbirds come back to Colorado? At the same time as most years, of course.

Beginning in mid-April, keep your eyes peeled, as hummingbirds should start trickling into the state! This is such a beautiful way to verify that spring is on its way, with hundreds of stunning, tiny birds passing through Colorado.

We can expect literally thousands of the little guys as they make their annual trek north. And they do it quickly! Hummingbirds are known for their quickly fluttering wings and they can fly 500 miles in one stretch.

Every February, hummingbirds — who have been living in warm and humid places like South America and Mexico since late fall — begin making their long trip north, which can span hundreds to thousands of miles depending on the whereabouts of their nesting grounds.

For a bird so tiny, they sure are strong - and fascinating! There's a lot to learn about these beautiful and powerful creatures.

Despite beginning their trip in late February and traveling every day, the hummingbirds will not reach their final destination (typically Canada) until the very end of spring, thanks, in part, to their small frames and wings that flap 15 to 80 times per second.

More and more often hummingbirds are beginning to migrate earlier in the season. Their migratory patterns are dictated by food sources and weather, so this is in part due to overall warmer weather in North America and possibly in part due to more food sources than usual.

While their bodies are small and their destination is far, hummingbirds can still travel up to 23 miles per day, which is made possible by healthy hearts that beat up to 1,260 times per minute. That really puts our workouts to shame!

Do you wish to help the hummingbirds along with their journey?

You can do so by providing them with fresh sugar water, which should be emptied no later than two weeks after your last bird sighting. It's also advisable that you choose clear nectar over anything with red dyes in it - it is unknown whether red dyes in hummingbird food harm them, and you're definitely better safe than sorry. After all, they need to be in tip-top shape for the big trip!

These little guys have incredible memories, and they will return to the same food sources every year. So once you start feeding them, you better keep up! They will come looking. And they're more territorial than you'd think! My mom would put feeders out every year, and she had quite the charm! Yes, a group of hummingbirds is called a charm and that's my favorite fun fact ever.

You can also attract hummingbirds by using brightly colored feeders and planting tubular flowers which are most conducive to the hummingbirds' long beaks.

What kind of hummingbirds can you expect to see during the springtime migration?

There are four species of hummingbirds in Colorado: Broad-tailed and Rufous hummingbirds are the most commonly seen hummingbirds in Colorado. Calliope and Black-chinned hummingbirds are less common, but they’re around!

Adult male broad-tailed hummingbirds look very similar to ruby-throated hummingbirds, and they’re often mistaken for each other. Pictured above is a male broad-tailed hummingbird, and below is a ruby-throated. They do look very similar!

However, during the migration, you may see tons of varieties! Each one has unique coloring and plumage, like a rainbow of beautiful birds. Keep in mind that males have brighter colors than females.

These little guys are super-strong and super-ready to make their dramatic treks north for the year, and we are so very excited to see these beautiful little creatures in action! Keep an eye out throughout the spring to see how many different species you can spot. When you start noticing more and more hummingbirds out and about, it's a sure sign that spring is coming.

We hope this helps answer your question: "When do hummingbirds come to Colorado?"

Share this article with your favorite bird nerd who likes to feed the hummingbirds in Colorado. Looking for some things to do in colorful Colorado? Check out these 12 day trip ideas in Colorado, one for each month of the year.