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

Is there anything more beautiful than spring in Ohio? Well, yes, actually, yes there is: Hummingbirds in Ohio! Thousands of joyful, colorful hummingbirds, like a miniature feathered rainbow fluttering through the air. Each spring, the hummingbird migration in Ohio will have thousands of these beautiful little birds appear in the skies over the Buckeye State. Are you wondering, "When do hummingbirds come back to Ohio?" You can usually start to catch them in late April, during their annual migration. They'll be easy to spot in quiet yards, especially those armed with hummingbird feeders, all across the country. Read on to find out more about these bejeweled birds:

In February, hummingbirds began migrating from Mexico and Central America to the U.S. and Canada.

Fun fact: There are more than 300 recognized species of hummingbirds, but only about a dozen migrate to the U.S. and Canada. Out of those 12, the Ruby-throated hummingbirds are by far the most common.

Ohio hummingbirds are ruby-throated hummingbirds. The males are particularly easy to spot, with their bright red throats that give the species its name. Look at this one below, just mugging it up for the camera!

The ruby-throated hummingbirds, in fact, are the only type of hummingbird that breeds east of the Mississippi River.

Male hummingbirds typically arrive about two weeks before the females on the hummingbird migration in Ohio.

Males usually arrive in early April. Visit the Hummingbird Central website to stay up to date about their migration patterns and the best time to see hummingbirds in Ohio. They even have an interactive map showing the 2025 hummingbird migration. It's pretty cool!

These tiny little birds are quite extraordinary.

At just under four inches long, the ruby-throated hummingbird is tiny but mighty. In fact, they flap their wings an average of 53 times every second and fly up to 25 miles an hour. They are the smallest bird on the planet, but don't let their size fool you--they can zip around with ease, flying backward and forwards at incredible speeds.

If you'd like to spot some hummingbirds in your yard this year, it's a good idea to put your feeders out a few weeks before their expected arrival.

You don't have to purchase anything fancy, just a basic hummingbird feeder like those from an online retailer like Bed, Bath and Beyond will do. The best DIY hummingbird food is very easy to make, you probably already have both of the ingredients in your kitchen! A simple mixture of one part sugar to four parts water will do the trick. Nothing fancy, just normal white, granulated sugar. Experts suggest that the red dye that has been traditionally used may actually be causing more harm than good, so skip the dye. The hummingbirds will find the feeder, I promise!

Hummingbirds have incredible memory and have been known to return to the same yards year after year. If you fed hummingbirds in the fall, don't be surprised to see them knocking on your door in the spring!

Get your sugar water ready, have your camera on hand, and sit back and wait for the hummingbirds to arrive in Ohio! You'll want a super fast shutter if you want to freeze those wings.

Now that we've answered the question, "When will hummingbirds return to Ohio?" -- it's time to prepare for their arrival! So set yourself up for success with a hummingbird feeder, charge your camera, and get ready for Ohio's most charming springtime star.

Share this article with your fellow bird nerd friends and start putting up your feeders! They'll be here before you know it and then you'll have your very own charm! Yep, a group of hummingbirds is called a charm. You're welcome.

And if you're feeling major spring vibes, be sure to check out this butterfly house in Cleveland -- it's stunning!