Hummers in SW FL

[chrisla2]

I am new to this forum so you may have discussed this already. I want to know when the hummers come through this area. I am new to the humming bird world and do not know when to put out my feeder or if the hummers come to SW FL. Thanks for the info.

[Steve Backes]

Hummingbirds are possible throughout Florida year round, even in the southwest, but you're most likely to see them between August and April. I've received documented sightings of a nesting Ruby-throated off the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in the Fakahatchee Strand in two of the past three years but breeding hummingbirds are very rare south of Tampa.

Resident hummingbirds can be very local in Florida, in one neighborhood and not the next. Breeding occurs most often around wooded water, especially in trees that hang out over rivers. So, your chances of attracting a breeding hummingbird are better the farther north you are and the closer you live to water.

Wintering birds have other needs and can be found in neighborhoods away from water. They need a good source of food, bugs and nectar, as well as perching sites for security and defending territories. For the most part, hummingbirds prefer locations with mature trees and a lot of landscaping. I use the term "optimally landscaped". Others say "overgrown". Optimal landscaping is not necessary for attracting a hummingbird or two but the more "optimal" you have, the more birds you'll likely attract.

Steve