Are you a hummingbird lover from Missouri and waiting for them to arrive in your region? And also want to know some tips for attracting them to your place? Great! Continue reading this article to know when the hummingbirds will arrive in Missouri and by when you can start hanging the feeders for them.
When to put out the feeders in Missouri?
Hummingbirds arrive in Missouri mostly in the spring season. They arrive in this season to mostly nest and raise their young babies. Therefore, you can put the feeders out in your balcony or yard in April. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are seen in large numbers in Missouri as they are the summer visitors and the highlight of this season.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds return to Missouri after migrating from the southern states. In the middle of April, you can see some tiny hummingbirds in your backyards and neighborhood.
The hummingbirds that arrive early in Missouri are mostly observed relying on the insects and sap oozing that they get from the sapsucker drilled holes for the food. And, once the weather gets warmer, they start feeding on the nectar they get from different flowers in the spring season. Some hummingbirds also start searching for artificial feeders that can provide them with good nectar. This nectar gives them the energy to find insects the whole day and feed their young babies.
Some other hummingbird species, like the Rufous hummingbirds, can be seen breeding from the Rocky Mountains to the west coast. These birds can be seen mostly arriving in Missouri by the end of the summer or early winter. Anna’s hummingbirds might leave the feeders beyond early October; therefore, you can keep the feeders up for them till the month’s end.
Which flower plants are most attractive for Missouri hummingbirds?
Missouri’s hummingbirds love the native plants of this region. Therefore planting such flowers in your yard is one of the best ways to attract the hummingbirds, as they provide them with sufficient nectar to satisfy their hunger. Ruby-throated hummingbirds are mostly attracted to red and orange coloured flowers.
The Missouri native plants that you can grow in your yard are:
- Royal catchfly
- Cardinal flower
- Wild bergamot
- Native honeysuckles
- Columbine
- Jewelweed or touch-me-not
- Fire pink
- Trumpet creeper
- Red buckeye
How do you attract hummingbirds in Missouri?
If you are a hummingbird lover, here are a few tips for you that you can consider for attracting the Missouri hummingbirds in your yard.
- Hummingbirds love red color, therefore display more things that are red.
- You can hang red ribbons on your feeders, bushes and trees.
- You can plant trees and shrubs as perches.
- Provide a water source.
- You can hang a protein or insect feeder as a source of protein for the tiny birds.
- Add multiple feeders in your yard to establish more territories.
- You have to change the nectar often.
- Avoid using food coloring in the homemade nectar.
- Keep the feeders clean.
- Use bee resistant feeders.
Tips to consider while hanging the feeders for Missouri hummingbirds
The feeders’ placement plays a major role in bringing more hummingbirds to your yard or balcony. Here are some of the feeder placement tips that you can consider for attracting the hummingbirds that are migrating to Missouri.
- Visibility: You should keep the feeders in the open space where they will be clearly visible to the migrating hummingbirds. Otherwise, if they can’t see it, they won’t visit your yard or balcony. Keeping the feeders up in the sunlight will make them sparkle and shine, which will attract the nearby hungry hummingbirds.
- Windows: If you are keeping the feeders close to your window to see the beautiful hummingbirds then make sure you keep it away at a safe distance. Keeping the feeder at a distance of less than feet and more than 15 feet away from the window can help to avoid collisions.
- Spacing: Hummingbirds need sufficient space to move around the feeder whenever they are feeding from it. Therefore make sure the feeder is hung in a spacious environment and not in the congested one. If you hang the feeders in dense bushes or trees, then it might be a bit discouraging for them.
- Perches: Hummingbirds like to rest for a while or perch when they have sweet nectar from the feeder. Therefore make sure that you hang the feeder in a place from where they can watch their favorite territory.
When to put down the feeders in Missouri?
Initially, some hummingbirds are seen migrating back to Central America, mostly in mid-August. Also, some other Ruby-throated hummingbirds usually start migrating to the south by the September end as the nights start to be cold.
And by 10th October, all the hummingbirds leave Missouri and move ahead to their next destination. Therefore you can take down the feeders by this time, or else if you want to feed the ones that are late for their migration journey, then you can keep it till the end of October.
Additional information that the Missourians must know
- The Missouri Grow Native Program provides all the essential information related to the native plants of Missouri. This program also provides a resource guide that might be helpful in locating the nurseries that mostly focus on the native plants.
- The hummingbird enthusiasts have also launched a website http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html where you can track and record the hummingbird sightings.
- The Missouri Department of Conservation also provides us with information on how the habitats of hummingbirds and other wildlife species can be improved.
Conclusion
Missouri is a place where you can find different species of hummingbirds all year round. I hope this article has provided you with helpful knowledge about the hummingbirds in Missouri and also gave some tips on how to attract them to your yard in their migration journey. If you know any other information or have any other tips for attracting the hummingbirds to the feeder then do let other readers know in the comment section below.
