When Do Hummingbirds Return To Maryland?
Reproduction: – Female feeding chicks by Rick McArthur, Flickr CC Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate to Central America over the winter and then return to the eastern half of the United States in the spring. Some birds will continue as far north as Canada to breed. In Maryland, ruby-throated hummingbirds generally return in early April and begin breeding shortly after.
Males will perform a courtship dance to woo the ladies. His dance includes making looping, U-shaped dives above the female. After breeding, the male will leave the female to build the nest and raise the young. She will create a thimble-sized nest constructed of dandelion and thistle threads bound by spider webs and covered on the outside with moss and lichen.
The spider silk allows the nest to expand as chicks grow while the moss and lichen provide camouflage. The female then will lay 2 eggs per clutch that take up to 2 weeks to incubate. The young will be born helpless and will take an additional 3-4 weeks to fledge.
Reproduction: – Female feeding chicks by Rick McArthur, Flickr CC Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate to Central America over the winter and then return to the eastern half of the United States in the spring. Some birds will continue as far north as Canada to breed. In Maryland, ruby-throated hummingbirds generally return in early April and begin breeding shortly after.
- Males will perform a courtship dance to woo the ladies.
- His dance includes making looping, U-shaped dives above the female.
- After breeding, the male will leave the female to build the nest and raise the young.
- She will create a thimble-sized nest constructed of dandelion and thistle threads bound by spider webs and covered on the outside with moss and lichen.
The spider silk allows the nest to expand as chicks grow while the moss and lichen provide camouflage. The female then will lay 2 eggs per clutch that take up to 2 weeks to incubate. The young will be born helpless and will take an additional 3-4 weeks to fledge.
