Spring migration doesn’t start with a grand announcement. It begins quietly, with subtle changes most of us walk right past every day.
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Check PriceThe first birds arrive weeks before you expect them, and the signs they leave behind—different songs, new behaviors, a flash of color you haven’t seen in months—are easy to miss if you’re not paying attention.
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Early Arrivals You Can Spot in Your Own Backyard
Spring is a time of new beginnings, including the return of migratory birds to New Mexico. Hummingbirds are one of the first birds to arrive, typically showing up in early March.
Ensure your hummingbird feeders are ready for the first male arrivals to set up territories for the breeding season before the females show up. While the first hummingbirds typically arrive in North Carolina during the month of April, there is always a chance that you could see one earlier or later than that.
Early arrivals are usually males who come to establish their territories before the females arrive. Late arrivals may be young birds hatched last year who are new to migration and do not have a set destination in mind.
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Seasonal hummingbirds on the spring migration will begin to arrive in Oregon from late February/early March onwards. They will arrive first in the state’s south and make their way northwards.
So if you live further north, you will have to wait just a little longer for the first hummingbirds of the season to arrive.
Subtle Changes in Bird Behavior and Song
The male wren’s song is cascading and bubbly, lasting up to 10 seconds. They are more likely to sing during the spring when they are establishing their new territory.
Females and males both call to one another, and their call sounds a bit like a Chipping Sparrow. Song sparrows are one of the few birds that are more vocal even than the chipping sparrow.
Their noisy song throughout the spring and summer can create an almost constant backdrop to life outdoors.
Simple Ways to Welcome Migrants Right Now
Placing a hummingbird feeder early will ensure a reliable food source is available on your property, even for those birds that are early migrants, a little ahead of the curve.
Tools and Tips to Track Migration in Your Area
If you are not sure when your Hummers are due to arrive back, keep track of their progress with the spring migration maps that track Hummingbirds return north each year. The first states to see hummingbirds arrive after their spring migration are Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
In these states, hummingbirds usually arrive by the first week of March.
First spring arrivals our writers timed
| Spec | What our writers say |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | Hummingbirds typically arrive in early March |
| North Carolina | First hummingbirds typically arrive in April |
| Oregon | Late February or early March, south first, then north |
| Who arrives first | Early arrivals are usually males establishing territories |
| Spring song | Males sing more in spring while establishing territory |
| Song sparrows | Noisy song throughout spring and summer |
| Welcome them | Place a hummingbird feeder early for early migrants |
| Tracking tool | Spring migration maps that track hummingbirds heading north |
| First states | Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas by the first week of March |
