Hummingbirds On Their Way To Will County: Preserve

WILL COUNTY, IL — Another sign of spring is on the way, with the spotting of hummingbirds in the United States on their annual northern migration. According to the forest preserve, the hummingbirds have made it as far north as northern Florida, Louisiana and Texas.

You can follow along on the hummingbirds' migratory journey thanks to two citizen science projects: Hummingbird Central and Journey North.

The tiny birds still have quite a ways to go until they make it as far north as Illinois and then Will County, the preserve said.

"Generally, we start seeing hummingbirds in Will County around the middle of April, and they should be here in full force by May," according to the preserve.

The hummingbird feeders in the bird-feeding area at the Forest Preserve's Plum Creek Nature Center are put out on April 15 each year to ensure any early-arriving birds have a source of nectar, the preserve said.

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, the preserve said.