By Victoria E. Freile,
Hummingbirds have started appearing in parts of New York. By mid-May, the birds should be present throughout the entire state.
The very first ruby-throated hummingbirds were spotted within New York state in the last few days – two on Long Island and one in the Hudson Valley, according to Hummingbird Central.
The small, colorful birds spend the winter months in Mexico and Central America and migrate to the states to breed between April and October, said Andrew Farnsworth, a visiting scientist at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and migration ecologist.
How far north have hummingbirds been spotted so far this spring? See the map
Hummingbird Central uses citizen science to track the annual migration of hummingbirds, using user-reported sightings to map their progress.
Over the weekend, two ruby-throated hummingbirds were spotted in Suffolk County on Long Island – on April 11 at Rocky Point and on April 10 in Center Moriches, according to Hummingbird Central’s 2026 hummingbird spring migration map. On April 9, another ruby-throated hummingbird was sighted in Nelsonville, Putnam County, making it the most northern sighting in New York state so far this spring, according to Hummingbird Central
Within the last week, a male ruby-throated hummingbird was also spotted on April 6 in Chatham, New Jersey, not far from Newark and NYC they also were spotted on feeders, in trees and on shrubs in several towns in southern New Jersey between March 31 and April 10.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds were spotted across the southern U.S. in February and March, according to Hummingbird Central.
What’s the most common type of hummingbird in NY?
While five species of hummingbirds have appeared in New York state over the years, the ruby-throated hummingbird is the most common, according to Bird Advisors.
Male ruby-throated hummingbirds, which usually arrive up to a week or two before the females, have bright green backs and crowns, gray-white undersides and an iridescent red throat.
Females are green on their backs and white underneath with brown crowns and sides.
Here are four other hummingbird species that have been spotted in New York, according to Bird Advisors:
- Rufous hummingbird: Last spotted in Baldwinsville, Onondaga County, in 2021, this hummingbird species is near-threatened in New York and is rarely seen.
- Calliope hummingbird: This hummingbird species is considered accidental in the Empire State and was last spotted in Water Mill on Long Island in 2016.
- Anna’s hummingbird: Also considered accidental in the state, this hummingbird species was last seen in New York in 2017.
- Broad-billed hummingbird: Only spotted in Owego and North Rose in 2006, this hummingbird species is thought to be accidental as well and it’s an extremely rare find.
What did hummingbird migration look like in spring 2025?
Some of the earliest hummingbird sightings in New York were on April 15, near Narrowsburg (Sullivan County), Voorheesville (Albany County) and Moriches and Manorville (both in Suffolk County), according to Hummingbird Central.
Hummingbirds were first sighted in Albany on April 24, near Rochester (in Webster) on April 28, in Syracuse on May 2, in Ithaca on May 3 and near Buffalo (in Williamsville) on May 5.
More than 15,000 hummingbird sightings are reported each spring to Hummingbird Central. During the 2025 spring migration season – in April and May – New York saw more than 400 reports of hummingbird sightings, all of which were ruby-throated hummingbirds, according to HummingbirdCentral.com.
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology received approximately 3,600 sightings between mid-April and mid-May last spring, but expected that many were duplicates, Farnsworth said.
How do hummingbirds migrate?
Hummingbirds fly by day when nectar sources such as flowers are more abundant, according to Hummingbird Central.
A hummingbird can travel as much as 23 miles in a single day. However, during migration as they cross the Gulf they may cover up to 500 miles at a time. Their average speed in direct flight is in the range of 20 to 30mph, and up to three times that fast-during courtship dives.
Hummingbirds migrate individually, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
How to attract hummingbirds to your own backyard
Hummingbirds are typically attracted to red, tubular flowers such as lantana, zinnias, pentas, salvia, batface cuphea, hot lips, fire bush, nasturiums and corepsis, according to Hummingbird Central, so planting those will heighten your chance of hummingbird visits.
It’s also a good idea to include a water feature with clean, shallow and moving water somewhere in your backyard and at least one feeder with homemade nectar, according to Hummingbird Central and Bird Advisors.
Make sure not to use any pesticides or herbicides, though, and the presence of trees and large shrubs also provide a protective element for the hummingbirds and a source of insects, which is another favorite food of the winged creatures.
Contributing: USA Today network
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Hummingbirds are back in NY. See where they’ve been spotted