how to attract hummingbirds in Illinois

Hummingbirds enjoyed a nice warm winter far to our south, and now, after a long migration, they're finding their way back into Illinois. Here's how you get yourself and your yard prepared to attract and enjoy these tiny birds until they leave again in the fall.

Over the last few weeks, we've seen monarch butterflies making their way through Illinois on their way to a winter home in Mexico. Now, Illinois finds itself directly in the path of hummingbirds that are also migrating south. Keep your eyes open and your feeders full, and you should be seeing plenty of these little birds passing through.

There are only 2 species of hummingbirds that call Illinois their temporary home during the spring and summer, but 4 other species have been known to pay us a visit. Here's how to keep those little birds coming back to your yard year after year.

A few weeks back, I told you to be on the lookout for migrating Monarch butterflies making their way through Northern Illinois, then on to the Mississippi Valley, followed by Texas, then on to their winter homes in Mexico. If your yard is like ours, you've probably seen quite a few, a you may for another week or so.