When do hummingbirds return from migration? It’s a question many gardeners and bird-watchers ponder after what might feel like an eternity of cold weather. The spring equinox marks a key transition in the calendar, and with the increase in daylight and warmth, the northern hemisphere stirs from its winter sleep.
Whilst the changing weather is undeniably a welcome shift for gardeners, it also marks a change in the natural world. As the days get longer and the nighttime temperatures increase, migratory birds are on the move, leaving their wintering grounds in southern regions and returning north to breed. Warblers, orioles and thrushes will soon take to the air, but perhaps the most anticipated visitors to backyards are some of the smallest: hummingbirds.
