We recommend that people place their hummingbird feeders out in mid April – between the 10th and 15th unless they see a hummingbird earlier than that – and maintain these feeders until late October – Halloween is an easy date to remember. In the fall, they migrate southward in September regardless of whether or not there is an abundance of flowers and/or hummingbird feeders. Contrary to popular myth, hummingbird migration is not triggered by changes in their food supply but by changes in day length. 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. They remain here through the summer and migrate back south during September. Ruby-throated and Black-chinned Hummingbirds return to Oklahoma in early spring – usually between the 10th and 20th of April. 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. The Black-chinned Hummingbird is found in the western quarter of the state and is most common in the southwestern corner. It is found across the eastern 3/4 of Oklahoma and is the only species found in the eastern half of the state. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the most common and widespread species. Ruby-throated Hummingbird © Patricia Velte The third species, the Rufous Hummingbird, does not nest in Oklahoma, but migrates through the state during the spring and fall. Two species, the Ruby-throated and the Black-chinned, nest in Oklahoma and are found here during the summer months. Three species of hummingbirds are regularly found in Oklahoma. By Mark Howery, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
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