Reports of ruby-throated hummingbirds appearing across Baldwin County in recent weeks have prompted speculation that the birds are arriving earlier than usual this year.

According to one hummingbird researcher, however, those sightings are more likely a sign of normal seasonal movement — not a shift in migration timing.

"We were seeing a lot of talk about the ruby-throated hummingbirds," said Kyle Shepard, director of public relations and outreach for Banding Coalition of the Americas. "They have likely been here all winter."

The ruby-throated hummingbird is the primary hummingbird species that breeds in the eastern United States. While many residents associate the species with spring and summer, Shepard said migration along the Gulf Coast follows a consistent annual pattern that includes birds overwintering in the region.

"Migration itself is like a tide, except one tide cycle lasts the whole year," Shepard said. "You start seeing a relative handful of numbers, specifically in ruby-throated hummingbirds, that

arrive normally the last week of February. But it's just one, two, three, four, five, and then it will slowly ramp up to more and more numbers until peak migration in the spring, which is normally early April."

After peaking in early April, numbers taper as birds continue north to breed, though some remain along the Gulf Coast during the summer months. In Alabama, peak fall migration typically occurs in September, when adults and juvenile birds head south.

However, Shepard said not all ruby-throated hummingbirds leave the region for the winter.

"All winter long, we have some birds that are overwintering here in the Southeast and really up the East Coast that don't ever go any further south," he said.

Shepard has been banding winter hummingbirds along the Gulf Coast for six years. He said long-term documentation — including nearly 30 years of work by fellow researchers — confirms that some individuals return to the same yards each winter.

"Some birds will continue to show up in the same yard around the same date every year through the winter and then pick up and leave come March or April," Shepard said.

Others may move between yards throughout the winter season. The increase in sightings now, he said, likely reflects wintering birds becoming more active and preparing for migration.

"What we're seeing right now, while there may be a couple of birds that are migrating early, is this movement and preparation of wintering birds on the Gulf Coast getting ready for their spring migration," Shepard said.

WHAT TRIGGERS MIGRATION?

Scientists believe photoperiod plays a primary role in triggering migration.

"So the length of daylight changing — that sort of turns on their brains to say, OK, it's about time to migrate."

As daylight increases, hummingbirds undergo physiological changes, building muscle mass and increasing fat stores to prepare for long-distance flights. Weather and food availability also influence the timing of departure.

Despite headlines suggesting earlier migration, Shepard said there is currently no evidence that ruby-throated hummingbirds are shifting their timing in Alabama.

"These early birds are more than likely birds that overwintered here and are just starting to move around more," he said.

THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

Shepard said reports of early arrivals tend to surface annually and may be amplified by social media.

"It definitely happens every year," he said.

In past decades, many residents removed hummingbird feeders during the winter months. As more people began leaving feeders out year-round, researchers documented wintering birds more consistently.

"A lot of people are unaware that we have hummingbirds that overwinter here on the Gulf Coast because they don't keep their feeders out," Shepard said.

He added that leaving a feeder out does not guarantee a winter hummingbird, but it increases the likelihood of detecting one if it is present.

"I can almost guarantee you that if you do have one, you're never going to see it if you don't have a feeder out," he said.

HOW RESIDENTS CAN HELP

For those who choose to provide feeders, Shepard recommends a simple homemade solution.

"They can just use regular plain white table sugar and mix it in water at a four parts water to one part sugar ratio," he said, adding that people should "stay away from red dye."

Feeder maintenance is critical. In warmer temperatures, sugar water may need to be replaced every one to two days, and the solution should also be replaced when it becomes cloudy.

As sightings increase across Baldwin County, Shepard said residents should view them as part of the species' normal seasonal cycle rather than definitive proof of early migration. In many cases, the birds drawing attention this month may simply be winter residents preparing for their regular spring departure.

Gabriella Chavez is a Report for America corps member who writes about growth and development in Baldwin County and our natural spaces for Gulf Coast Media. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://tinyurl.com/yaf8yf5n.