Another busy Hummingbird feeder

Here's another video of a Hummingbird feeder that was filmed last spring. We always have a lot of them in this part of Oklahoma.Show more

Three species of hummingbirds are regularly found in Oklahoma.  Two species, the Ruby-throated and the Black-chinned, nest in Oklahoma and are found here during the summer months.  The third species, the Rufous Hummingbird, does not nest in Oklahoma, but migrates through the state during the spring and fall.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the most common and widespread species.  It is found across the eastern 3/4 of Oklahoma and is the only species found in the eastern half of the state.  The Black-chinned Hummingbird is found in the western quarter of the state and is most common in the southwestern corner.  It is the most common hummingbird around the cities of Lawton and Altus, and it has expanded its range eastward over the past three decades and is now common as far east as Chickasha.

Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummingbirds return to Oklahoma in early spring – usually between the 10th and 20th of April.  They remain here through the summer and migrate back south during September.  Like many migratory land birds, the male hummingbirds typically return one to two weeks before the females in the spring and migrate south in mid-September about two weeks before the females and juvenile birds.  Contrary to popular myth, hummingbird migration is not triggered by changes in their food supply but by changes in day length.  In the fall, they migrate southward in September regardless of whether or not there is an abundance of flowers and/or hummingbird feeders.