PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 11, 2025
Heading into October, leave your hummingbird feeders up. We are heading into the exciting time of year for migrating birds, when we tend to see more western species show up in the east. We are seeing shifts in migratory patterns and early range expansions. In eastern North America we typically only have one species of hummingbird, the ruby-throated. They arrive in Maine each spring then spend the summer nesting across the state. Most ruby-throated hummingbirds depart during September, though we do get reports of small numbers lingering into October and a few in November. We now need to be on the lookout for western Selasphorus hummingbirds, largely thanks to feeders they visit. Maine has two records of calliope hummingbirds, but it has been 17 years since the last sighting. Each record helps us learn more about the shifting patterns of these birds. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox