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

Spring is just around the corner in the Palmetto State and with it comes the annual hummingbird migration north from overwintering spots in Florida, Mexico, southern Texas, and South America. So, when will hummingbirds in South Carolina arrive? During the month of March, thousands of them are expected to migrate to and through the state tracking as far north as Ontario for the breeding season. That's right, it's time to gear up for this beautiful natural phenomenon. Prepare your best hummingbird feeders for the beautiful birds coming our way.

Here in South Carolina, the most predominant species of hummingbirds is the Ruby-throated hummingbird, named for the brightly colored bib on its neck.

It's the male of this species that has the signature red-throat plumage that the bird is named for. The females sport grey or brown feathers at the throat. You'll spot many other species during the migration as well, each with different colorings and feather patterns. The Ruby-throated hummingbirds are by far the most popular. The males will show up first with the females about 10 days (or two weeks) behind.

Although more of them are expected to be seen during the migration north, many may have overwintered right here in the Palmetto State. Still, more may return to South Carolina for the purpose of breeding before migrating southward again in the fall.

As the weather in North America grows warmer each year, hummingbirds are beginning their migration earlier and earlier, and more birds are opting to spend the winter in the southern United States rather than migrating. That gives us more time with these beauties.

You may be wondering how it's all tracked. Hummingbird Central has been utilizing an interactive map for the last seven years. Hummingbird enthusiasts log their sightings of the winged creatures during each migration season.

Hummingbird Central tracks the migration north all over North America and a variety of hummingbird species sightings are recorded throughout the season. It's really cool to see the 2025 hummingbird migration day by day, as more users report sightings.

During the many years since the website has been utilizing the interactive map, the map has been viewed several million times. We're not the only ones nerding out on hummingbird intel.

Interestingly, you may spot some of the very same Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that you did last year. Hummingbirds are creatures of habit (with incredible memories) and often return to a place where they've found food before. If you have a hummingbird feeder that you actively maintain you may have been feeding the same birds year after year.

Hummingbirds will beef up their body weight ahead of the migration period in order to store fuel for the long journey.

As they journey to their breeding ground, they'll stop at flowering plants and hummingbird feeders in South Carolina along the way. Hummingbirds are drawn to tubular flowers in bright colors, so plant those if you're hoping to attract some of these interesting birds.

If you don't have much of a green thumb, you can always buy a hummingbird feeder. These days they make them in a million different ways and some of them honestly look like works of art! They'll definitely make your garden pop.

It's very easy to make your own hummingbird food. You most likely already have the ingredients in your kitchen! A ratio of one part sugar to four parts water will do the trick. Nothing fancy, just normal, white, granulated sugar. No need for red dye. Experts now believe that the red dye may be causing more harm than good. Don't worry, your tiny feathered friends will have no problem finding the feeders.

Once they arrive, the breeding begins and a nest is built in a small tree or shrub where the female is the predominant overseer of the eggs and the babies.

Now that you know a little bit more about the hummingbirds coming our way, it'll be that much more exciting when they arrive. Keep your feeders full and before long you'll have your very own charm! That's right, a group of hummingbirds is called a charm. It's my favorite fun fact about hummingbirds and I don't get to share it nearly as often as I'd like.

Soon, it will be spring and with it, thousands of adorable hummingbirds in South Carolina will arrive! Have you spotted any migrating yet this year? Share this article with your fellow bird nerds and start browsing hummingbird feeders online.

If you can get your timing right, you might even spot some hummingbirds while hiking! This wildflower trail in South Carolina looks perfect.