Wild Wasatch: Hummingbirds take flight as summer fades

Photo: Photo by Roger Burkhard

PARK CITY, Utah — The buzz of hummingbird wings is fading from Summit County gardens and meadows as the small but determined migrants head south for winter.

According to Wild About Utah, a statewide natural history initiative, adult male hummingbirds begin their departure as early as mid-July, followed by females and juveniles through August and early September. For residents of the Wasatch Back, that means now is the season to catch the last flashes of iridescent feathers darting between late-blooming flowers and backyard feeders.

Summit County is home in summer to species such as the rufous and broad-tailed hummingbirds, both of which breed in mountain foothills and high-elevation meadows before traveling thousands of miles to wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. Migration is not triggered by cold weather, but by shorter daylight hours, which cue birds to begin their journey, according to Hummingbird Central, a national tracking site.

Wild About Utah notes that the final birds to leave are often juveniles, lingering in the area until early September as they build strength for their first migration. Local residents are encouraged to keep feeders up for at least two weeks after their last sighting, ensuring the birds have access to food during their passage. Contrary to myth, maintaining feeders does not prevent migration; it simply provides critical energy for the journey.

For Summit County, the end of hummingbird season is as much about transition as it is about migration. Their departure mirrors the subtle shifts in the landscape — berries ripening, aspen leaves beginning to yellow — signaling the close of summer in the Wasatch.

As the birds lift away, they remind us that change here is measured in wings as much as in weather.