Hummingbirds Have Arrived In Colorado & We Have The Buzz

The hummingbirds have arrived in Colorado. This awesome interactive map helps you monitor hummingbirds as they make their migration into Colorado for spring 2023.

A Black-chinned hummingbird was spotted in Fruita yesterday, April 17, 2023, and another Black-chinned was observed in Grand Junction clear back on April 13, 2023. Here's a chance to stay up to speed with hummingbird activity across Colorado.

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Hummingbirds Sightings in Western Colorado for Spring 2023

The website Hummingbird Central is an interactive site where you can report hummingbird activity across the country. That information is then posted to a detailed map.

Looking a the map for Colorado, so far in 2023 Colorado residents have made these reports:

• April 4, 2023 - A Broad-tailed Hummingbird was sighted in Trinidad
• April 11, 2023 - A Rufous Hummingbird sighted in Mancos
• April 12, 2023 - A Broad-tailed Hummingbird was sighted in Pueblo
• April 12, 2023 - A Broad-tailed Hummingbird sighted north of Livermore
• April 12, 2023 - A Broad-tailed Hummingbird sighted in Lyons
• April 13, 2023 - A Broad-tailed Hummingbird sighted near Cheyenne Mountain
• April 16, 2023 - A Black-chinned Hummingbird was sighted in Glenwood Springs
• April 17, 2023 - A Black-chinned Hummingbird sighted in Marvel

Black-Chinned Hummingbirds In Western Colorado

You'll see the majority of reports from Western Colorado involve the Black-chinned hummingbird. According to All About Birds::

A small green-backed hummingbird of the West, with no brilliant colors on its throat except a thin strip of iridescent purple bordering the black chin, only visible when light hits it just right. Black-chinned Hummingbirds are exceptionally widespread, found from deserts to mountain forests. Many winter along the Gulf Coast. Often perches at the very top of a bare branch. Low-pitched humming sound produced by wings.

Typical Arrival Time In Colorado

The website Only In Your State reports:

Hummingbirds spend their time from around September to around April in warmer climates nearer to the equator. In April, though, they begin a mass migration northward – arriving in colorful Colorado in late April, and staying until about August.

Colorado 2023 Compared to Last Year

Looking back at 2022, It appears as though April 9 was the big day. These were the first four Hummingbird sightings in Colorado in 2022.

You'll notice that in each case, the birds observed were Broad-tailed Hummingbirds. According to audubon.org, this variety is typically found in mountain meadows and forests.

Breeds mostly in mountains, up to over 10,000 feet elevation. Mostly in rather open forest, especially near streams, including pine-oak and pinyon-juniper woods, and associations of spruce, Douglas-fir, and aspen. Migrants occur in all semi-open habitats of mountains and also make stopovers in lowlands. - audubon.org

Be a Part of the Fun

Hummingbird Central's Spring 2023 Hummingbird Migration Map is a ton of fun. You can be a part of it. You can report your sightings while remaining completely anonymous. They do not share your name, email, or exact address. They only share the info you provide regarding your city, state, and sighting details.