Migration watch: Hummingbirds have landed in Will County
For those of you eagerly anticipating the arrival of ruby-throated hummingbirds, keep an eye out because the wait shouldn't be much longer. Sightings have begun being reported in Illinois, including some in Will County and the Chicago area.
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, with the Hummingbird Central map showing several sightings in the Chicago area and the Journey North map showing them at a few spots in Illinois but not yet as far north as Will County.
The hummingbirds are just about right on schedule compared with last year. In 2023, the first reported sighting in Will County was on April 10 in Bolingbrook. This year, sightings have already been reported in Mokena and New Lenox and elsewhere in the Chicago area.
Generally, we start seeing hummingbirds at Plum Creek Nature Center around the middle of April, and they should be there in full force by May. The hummingbird feeders in the bird-feeding area 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.