Migrations: Tiny Bird, Epic Journey

Mark Bramhill0:00

This is BirdNote. [hummingbird sounds] Don't be fooled by the gentle, whirring sound of a hummingbird in flight. This male Rufous hummingbird performs elegant and aggressive courtship displays to defend his territory, and he may travel hundreds of miles to find a mate. In the spring, Rufous hummingbirds journey up the Pacific coast from Mexico to the northwestern corner of the U.S. Some go even as far north as Alaska. That's almost a thousand miles one way for a bird measuring just under four inches beak to tail, making this one of the longest migrations of any bird relative to body length. But after completing one journey, the hummingbirds have to prepare for another. As fall approaches, they sip nectar and catch insects to pack on fat that will power their passage back to the tropics, this time taking the scenic route over the Rocky Mountains. But not all hummingbirds of the same species migrate at the same time. This male Rufous hummingbird in the Pacific Northwest gets out of town early. He leaves the breeding grounds as soon as mid-June. Females stay behind to finish their nesting duties before heading south a week or two after the males, and their grown children trail after them in August.