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

Three cheers for spring! Winters in Pennsylvania can be rough, which means we're always ready to welcome back the birds, the longer days, and the warm sunshine that spring brings with it. If you've been asking yourself, "When will hummingbirds come to PA," wonder no more. Here's everything you need to know about the arrival of these beautiful birds, but before you learn how to prepare for the hummingbirds in Pennsylvania, take a peek at some of the best hummingbird feeders that will help you welcome them to your yard.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds will soon arrive in Pennsylvania, after migrating from their winter homes in the south. The ruby-throated hummingbirds are the only type of hummingbirds found east of the Mississippi River.

Several southern states – Florida and Alabama, for example – begin to see the return of the hummingbirds, as they migrate from their winter homes in Central America, around the beginning of March. Pennsylvanians, however, will have to wait a bit longer – late April for the southern part of the state and the beginning of May for the northern part. Male ruby-throated hummingbirds usually arrive several weeks before the females. The hummingbirds generally remain in Pennsylvania through mid to late October.

At just under four inches long, the ruby-throated hummingbird is tiny but mighty. They flap their wings an average of 53 times every second and fly up to 25 miles an hour.

Attract hummingbirds to your yard with a feeder. Even if the hummingbirds in PA aren't expected in your corner of the state until late April or early May, put it out early, preferably at the beginning of April.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds have a varied diet. Spiders, gnats, and flies are among the insects that help hummingbirds gain the weight necessary to journey from their winter homes in Florida, Mexico, and Central America. Some migrate from as far away as the Gulf of Mexico to the United States, a more than 500-mile journey over the water. That means they fly non-stop for as many as 24 hours.

If you want to help draw ruby-throated hummingbirds to your yard, you can do so in two ways. Hummingbirds eat nectar from various flowers. Columbines, red buckeyes, and clove currants are all hummingbird favorites that bloom in the spring.

Don't worry if you don't have a green thumb. You can still help out by providing sugar water.

Sugar water should be four parts water and one part sugar. If you’re using cups, add one cup of sugar to four cups of water. Just use regular table sugar, and do not add red dye. While some say dye attracts birds, it could also prove dangerous. Experts recommend changing the sugar water every other day. If the water is cloudy, it's time for a water change. When you change the water, clean the feeder, too. If you don’t, dangerous mold can build up, harming the hummingbirds.

Deciding where to place your hummingbird feeder is just as important as cleaning it. The feeder generally serves as somewhere ruby-throated hummingbirds can get nourishment and rest. Feeders should be placed in a shaded area to provide hummingbirds respite from the sun and ensure the sugar water stays fresh. If you're putting up more than one feeder, place them so the hummingbirds can't see each other and everyone can get a chance to drink.

If you've planted flowers for the hummingbirds, put a feeder near them. I have a cluster of three massive trees in my backyard, so I put feeders near each one, under the branches for plenty of shade. So far that's worked in drawing the ruby-throated hummingbirds to my yard.

Keep your feeder out a few weeks after you’ve last seen hummingbirds in October, just in case a few stragglers fly through and need nourishment.

Are you ready for the hummingbird migration in PA? Where is your favorite place to view the hummingbirds in PA (that's not home)? Let us know by nominating it.

Whether feeding the hummingbirds in Pennsylvania for the first time this year - or upgrading your current feeder - check out some of the best hummingbird feeders. Then, start planning all of your spring activities, beginning with adding these must-visit outdoor destinations in Pennsylvania to your bucket list.