Migration watch: Hummingbirds have landed in Illinois
Keep your eyes peeled, bird lovers. Hummingbirds have arrived in Illinois and could be showing up in our yard any day now!
You can follow along on the hummingbirds' migratory journey thanks to two citizen science projects: Hummingbird Central and Journey North. The maps do vary a bit based on those reporting to each site.
Their arrival in Illinois is right on scheduled for the tiny birds. Generally, we start seeing hummingbirds in Will County around the middle of April, and they should be here in full force by May. The hummingbird feeders in the bird-feeding area at the Forest Preserve's Plum Creek Nature Center are put out on April 15 each year to ensure any early-arriving birds have a source of nectar.
Keep in mind that ruby-throated hummingbirds will migrate all the way up into Canada, so even if you spot one locally, that doesn't mean that particular bird is going to be sticking around. Instead, it may just be making a pit stop.
While you wait for their arrival in your yard, go ahead and enjoy these hummingbird videos.