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

Everyone can use good news, especially when it involves thousands of little ruby-throated hummingbirds buzzing our way. In the coming weeks, we'll enjoy an influx of hummingbirds making their way up north for their spring migration and breeding season. If you think you love nature and hiking in Rhode Island now, you will love the state even more during hummingbird season.

While you can try to find ruby-throated hummingbirds in the wild, you can also host them by adding one, or a few, best hummingbird feeders to your yard. When is the best time to see hummingbirds in Rhode Island? Here's everything you need to know, including the best time to leave out hummingbird feeders in Rhode Island.

While hummingbirds in Rhode Island tend to prefer secluded parks and natural areas, you can easily lure them into your yard with a feeder. However, if you enjoy walking through parks in the spring, by all means, go for it. You might see even more of them on your nature strolls.

Hummingbirds are, by far, some of the smallest birds in the world. Ruby-throated hummingbirds, only one of two hummingbird species in Rhode Island, measure between two and five inches long, with their tiny wings flapping more than 50 times a second. Male ruby-throated hummingbirds are easily recognizable by the red feathers around their necks. Females, however, are more difficult to spot due to the lack of red feathers on their necks.

If you're wondering, "When do ruby-throated hummingbirds come back to Rhode Island," mark your calendar for the first wave at the end of April. Males tend to migrate to Rhode Island in late April with females following in early May.

However, the ruby-throated hummingbirds' migration usually begins in Mexico and Central America in February, and some travel to Canada.

If you want to draw ruby-throated hummingbirds to your yard, place a feeder (or a few) in your yard, and if you do so every year, you might begin to notice something interesting. Some experts believe hummingbirds will stop at the same feeders year after year during their migration. They remember where the food was, so you'll likely make new feathered friends.

You can easily make a DIY hummingbird feeder or buy one online and fill it with sugar water. Sugar water should be one part sugar and four parts water. (Pour a cup of sugar into four cups of water.) Do not use red or any other dyes, which can be deadly to birds.

Keep an eye on the feeder, too, replenishing it as necessary and cleaning it regularly. Cloudy water requires an immediate water change. Thoroughly clean the feeder every few days to ensure mold, which is dangerous for birds, doesn't build up.

While a feeder is vital to the survival of ruby-throated hummingbirds, they also feed on a variety of insects, including gnats, flies, and spiders. The tiny birds generally eat as much as twice their body weight in flower nectar each day, too, so if you have a green thumb, consider growing hummingbird-friendly flowers, including bee balm, cardinal flower, and wild columbine.

If you have hummingbird-friendly flowers, place a feeder near them so it's easy for the birds to feed and drink. The best place for a hummingbird feeder is in a shaded area, where birds can get out of the sun and rest. Most of my yard is an open space, but I have three massive trees close together where I put my hummingbird feeders. The leaves provide ample shade and a place for the hummingbirds to hide.

Remember, the best time to see hummingbirds in Rhode Island is usually late April, so consider putting out your feeders in the early or mid part of the month. Ruby-throated hummingbirds generally remain in Rhode Island until the end of August or early September. Leave your feeders up at least until the end of September in case any stragglers show up and need a drink.

Where is your favorite place to spot hummingbirds in Rhode Island? A park or a hiking trail? Let us know by filling out a nomination form. Find more information on the return of the ruby-throated hummingbirds in Rhode Island by checking out this spring migration map.