Why Right Now Is Prime Hummingbird Time In Northern Illinois

I have no trouble admitting that I am a total hummingbird fan, and that I find a lot of joy in watching them buzzing around our hummingbird feeders all summer long.

If you've got hummingbird feeders hanging around your yard, you may have noticed lately that it seems like somebody put up a neon sign advertising your house as an all-you-can-eat hummingbird buffet.

That's exactly what I've been seeing at my house. My feeders are attracting roughly four times as many hummingbirds as they did earlier this summer, and it turns out there's a very good reason for the sudden increase. Right now is one of the best times of the entire year to see hummingbirds in Northern Illinois.

brown hummingbird near bird feeder

The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Is Illinois' Primary Hummingbird Species

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) says fall migration begins moving through Illinois in August. Some of the males have already started heading south, followed by females and young birds. In fact, the Forest Preserve District of Will County says the southbound migration begins in late July or early August and can continue into early October.

And that migration helps explain why your feeder suddenly looks like the hottest restaurant in town.

Hummingbirds need an enormous amount of energy, and before they make their way south, they're looking for as much food as they can find. University of Illinois Extension notes that hummingbirds need abundant food sources to fuel their journey, with some eventually traveling all the way to Mexico, Central America, Texas or Florida.

green and black humming bird flying

Don't Even Think About Taking Down Your Hummingbird Feeders Because Summer Is Coming To An End

Quite the opposite. Keep them clean, keep them filled, and keep the sugar water fresh.

Illinois Extension recommends a simple mixture of one part white granulated sugar to four parts water, with no red dye, honey or other sweeteners. During hot weather, the nectar should be changed frequently and the feeder cleaned regularly (about every 4 days).

Another cool reason to keep doing it is that once hummingbirds discover a reliable source of food and habitat, they often return to the same locations year after year.

August and September can be fantastic months for hummingbird watching because birds that spent the summer farther north are passing through Northern Illinois on their way south.