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

Ruby-throated hummingbirds in Missouri represent the return of so much natural beauty, including the blossoming flowers and lush greenery. Spring feels like an annual miracle. One of the first questions many of us have as soon as the weather starts warming up each year is, "When do hummingbirds come back to Missouri?" The return of the ruby-throated hummingbirds in Missouri is a highlight of the migrating seasons for many bird lovers. Here's everything you need to know about when hummingbirds return to Missouri.

When is the best time to see hummingbirds in Missouri? Ruby-throated hummingbirds will soon return to our backyards and neighborhoods as they migrate from the southern states back to the Midwest, including Missouri, typically arriving between the beginning and the middle of April.

The ruby-throated hummingbird is a tiny bird, measuring just under four inches long from the tip of the beak to the tip of the tail. Hummingbirds flap their wings a stunning 53 times a second and travel at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. Perhaps even more impressive is their ability to fly long distances without stopping. Some travel more than 500 miles from the Gulf Coast to the U.S., a nearly 24-hour journey over the water.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds eat a variety of foods, including bugs such as flies, spiders, and gnats. Nectar from flowers is an essential part of their diet as they typically consume as much as three times their weight in nectar every day. An easy way to attract ruby-throated hummingbirds to your yard is to grow their favorite Missouri wildflowers, including trumpet creeper, jewelweed, columbine, and native honeysuckles.

Consider adding a feeder, too. Fill the feeder with sugar water by pouring one cup of sugar into four cups of water. You may have heard red dye in the water attracts ruby-throated hummingbirds. Do not use dye, despite what you've heard, as it can prove fatal to birds.

A clean feeder is essential to birds' health. Clean out the feeder every few days maximum and, if you notice the water is cloudy, you know it's time for a water change. Failure to regularly clean the feeder will result in the buildup of mold, also harmful to birds.

The best time to leave out hummingbird feeders in Missouri is usually around mid to late March since the ruby-throated hummingbirds' arrival is expected in early April. Just as important as how to help provide nourishment is where to place your feeder. Shade, including under a tree, is best, and if you have flowers, you may want to put one near them. My favorite place to put my hummingbird feeders is under the three massive trees, which provide a ton of shade, in my backyard. I place the feeders so the birds in each one can't see each other so they don't fight over the water.

The hummingbird migration schedule usually begins with the tiny birds arriving in early to mid-April, and they usually remain until mid-August. Experts recommend keeping the water out at least a few weeks after you’ve seen the last of the hummingbirds, just in case some stragglers come along.

After spending winter in Central America, the hummingbirds begin their migration back to the north sometime in February before they again return to Missouri in mid-April.

Are you ready for the return of the ruby-throated hummingbirds in Missouri? Where is your favorite place in Missouri - a state park, a neighborhood park, a hiking trail - to see ruby-throated hummingbirds? Let us know by filling out a nomination form.

Spring means the return of the ruby-throated hummingbirds in Missouri and so much seasonal fun. Start planning your spring bucket list by adding these spring hikes and the most beautiful places to visit in Missouri in the spring. If you've got spring fever, hop in the car for this epic flower road trip through Missouri.