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

Iowa hummingbirds are part of the reason that when springtime weather shows up in the Midwest, everyone spends as much time as they can outside. Long winters keep us all cooped up, and we flock to parks, forests, and gardens to take in the sounds and signs of the new season. People aren't the only ones out enjoying the weather — soon, thousands of Iowa hummingbirds will show up to feast on the wildflowers of our beautiful state! When will hummingbirds arrive in Iowa? Keep reading to find out!

While the southern half of the country starts to see the hummingbird migration beginning in February, Iowa will have to wait a little longer. Keep an eye out for ruby-throated hummingbirds starting in April. They are the most common hummingbirds in the United States.

You can spot the ruby-throated hummingbirds fairly easily, especially the males. Check out the beauty below:

As spring begins to bloom here in the Hawkeye State, you'll notice thousands of hummingbirds appearing as their annual migration begins. When their winter homes in South America and Central America become too steamy, they start to make their way to the slightly cooler climates in North America.

Interestingly, hummingbirds have been migrating back to the United States earlier and earlier due to overall warmer winters here in North America.

While these beautiful birds make their way into Iowa, spring blooms are their most common food source.

This Blue Flag Iris is one of their most beloved plants, and towns like Altoona have collections of pollinator-friendly wildflowers in public parks and along walking trails. Hummingbirds love tubular flowers with high nectar content, and the tubular shape is also a perfect fit for their long beaks.

Help out hummingbirds in Iowa and other pollinators by planting friendly flowers. Some of their favorites include trumpet vines and butterfly bushes.

While hummingbirds particularly like trumpet-shaped flowers, they'll feed on a variety of high-nectar plants. Bee balm, sage, rhododendron, and lupine are all beautiful flowers that can help attract hummingbirds to your garden. It's a win-win; you get a beautiful garden, and the hummingbirds get fed.

When the weather patterns change, some flower patches struggle to keep up with the high demand, and hummingbird feeders become an important source of nectar for the birds who can't find enough food from flowers and plants along their journey.

These tiny, fast-moving birds can fly up to 1,300 miles in one stretch. As you can imagine, that kind of hard work requires a lot of fuel and energy in the form of nectar. Clocking in between two and five inches, hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the world.

And did you know that hummingbirds flap their wings up to 3,000 times per minute?!

They need constant nourishment, and nectar helps keep them fueled. If you're filling your own feeder with commercially available nectar, avoid the bright red stuff that's packed with artificial dyes. We don't know for sure that the dye will harm hummingbirds, but we want to keep the hummingbird feeders packed with what's closest to their natural food source.

You can make your own hummingbird food with only two ingredients, and you probably already have them in your kitchen! A solid DIY hummingbird food recipe is one part sugar and four parts water. The birds will find the feeder without the dye, we promise! In fact, these birds have an incredible memory and are known to revisit the same food sources every year! If you fed hummingbirds in the fall, don't be surprised if they come knocking again in the spring!

The hummingbird migration is well on its way, and they'll be fluttering their way through the Hawkeye State this spring.

Now that we've answered the question, "When is the best time to see hummingbirds in Iowa:" It's time to get ready for them!

Where is the best place to see hummingbirds in Iowa? If you're looking to spot the lovely creatures, head to Pikes Peak State Park! The park's bird feeders attract hundreds of them every day. Hummingbird Central is a wonderful resource for learning more. They have an interactive map you can follow to watch the hummingbird migration for 2025.

If you stay consistent and keep your feeders full, it won't take long before you have your own charm. That's right, a group of hummingbirds is called a charm! It's my favorite fun fact about hummingbirds, and I share it as often as I can. Hummingbird feeders have come a long way in recent years, and they really look like works of art now! They will certainly add a pop of color to your garden.