When New Jersey Can Expect Hummingbirds to Return for the Season

People escaping cold weather by heading south is a time-honored tradition on the eastern seaboard. Hummingbirds are no different. They head for greener pastures until the weather warms and they can return to states like New Jersey. The state’s most common hummingbird is the ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). At last estimate, over 35 million of them lived in the Eastern United States, with many of them landing in New Jersey. They are a magnificent, if not intimidating, little bird.

Characterized by blinding speeds, a nectar-based diet, and vibrant, iridescent red throat patches (white and streaked in females), the ruby-throated hummingbird is all flight and fury. As we enter spring, so do these little speed racers, returning to the United States after an extended sabbatical down south. Let’s learn more about their reentrance into New Jersey, and how to attract them to your yard.

Hummingbird Migration

April approaches, and so do the ruby-throated hummingbirds. They return from the global south at blinding speeds, enduring 500-mile flights in less than a day. Starting around mid-month, swaths of them reappear in New Jersey. The males arrive first to stake out territories for breeding, typically seven to ten days before the females.

Once the family units are re-established, the hummingbirds take refuge on the edge of deciduous forests. New Jersey attracts plenty thanks to its wide expansive of pines and similar trees. They also make a home out of orchards, gardens, and other patches of thick foliage.

There, they build small nests on sloping branches which females use to lay at least two eggs per summer. Once July approaches September, however, the ruby-throated hummingbirds are off to Florida, Mexico, or other Central American locations where the weather is warmer. They leave just as quickly as they arrive, but there are ways to attract hummingbirds, feed them, and keep them happy while they’re in town. Let’s learn how.

Attracting Hummingbirds

There are many ways to attract hummingbirds to your yard, but the natural way is often the best. This should be relatively easy in the “Garden State.” Get an early start by planting plenty of flowering plants that bloom between spring and fall. Native plants are ideal since they are adapted to a variety of wildlife needs. If you decide to plant flowering foliage, be sure to avoid pesticides. Female hummingbirds catch thousands of insects and arachnids per breeding season to feed their babies.

If it’s a little too late in the season, a hummingbird feeder can do wonders for these intense little birds. They are highly attracted to the color red, but it’s best to keep that tone to the feeder itself. Any red dye in the water could cause harm. With all that energy, hummingbirds need a lot of sugar—but not too much. A 1:4 mixture of white sugar to tap water, brought to a boil and cooled, should do the trick.

It’s also important to clean your hummingbird feeder often. When it’s hot outside, cleaning your feeder once a week should keep it safe for curious characters. If mold begins to develop in the feeder, or it becomes infested with insects, clean it right away. You shouldn’t use dish soap, however. It’s best to clean with a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide or vinegar.

For the best results, try to put out your hummingbird feeder at least a week before the migration lands in New Jersey. Placing red or orange flowers in the area around your hummingbird feeder will increase the chances of them finding it.

Further Feeding Strategies

Hummingbirds are adorable, but they do not appreciate nuance. They have two speeds, on or off, and this characterizes their behavior around feeding. Any long-term enthusiast will tell you just how impatient they can get when their regular feeder isn’t filled up. They buzz and boisterously dive-bomb anyone who approaches their watering hole, even if that person is there to refill it with sugar water. Give these birds space and sugar, and they will give back an aggressive, but diplomatic respect.

If you want to do everything you can to make hummingbirds feel at home in your yard, then consider accoutrements. A neat, well-placed bird bath or water mister will give enterprising hummingbirds a place to clean and refresh in between meals.

They are magnificent, momentous creatures, and the ruby-throated hummingbird is one of the finest examples of the hummingbird family. If you live in New Jersey, all these techniques put together should result in noticeable hummingbird activity. Even if you don’t put everything together in time, don’t fret. They will be back next summer.