Georgia’s second hummingbird season is now in full swing.  This season runs from November 1 through the end of February. Although fewer hummingbirds visit our feeders during this time of the year, far more species of hummingbirds are seen in the Peach State during these four months than at any other time of the year.

       While a few ruby-throated hummingbirds winter in the Peach State each year, the hummingbird most often seen at Peach State feeders during the winter is the rufous.  The rufous hummingbird breeds throughout the Pacific Northwest as far north as southern Alaska.  This hummingbird traditionally winters in central Mexico.  However, over the past several decades some of these migrants have been wintering every winter across the Southeast.

       Today, while I was working in my home office, I spotted my first rufous of the year feeding at a feeder hanging just outside my office window.

       If you want to give yourself a chance to see a rufous or one of the other hummingbirds that visit Georgia in the winter, maintain a hummingbird feeder in your yard throughout the winter.  Chances are you will not see one of these special birds.  However, if one of these birds does make an appearance, it will be something you will not soon forget.