Hummingbirds in Arizona are known for its variety of hummingbirds during hummingbird migrations that you can not find anywhere else in the US. In North America, in each state they get a few or more species of hummingbirds during hummingbird migrations and if you happen to live in an area where it's the hummingbird migrations path at, you get a great treat.

Arizona is known for a hot spot for birding but hummingbirds that you can find during spring and fall migration are the magnet for birders and photographers from all over the country and from all over the world. Hummingbird migration schedule usually starts around the beginning of March and it peaks in May. The migrating hummingbirds are travelling mostly from Mexico and some are from all the way from south American countries. They need to do a seasonal migration to stay in a warm climate place and South East Arizona's mountain regions ,known as Sky Island, is on the path for hummingbird migrations. And fall migration starts around the end of August till the beginning of September during which they tank themselves up as much as they can to prepare for their long journey back to South.

Birders and photographers all agree that fall migration is more specutacular than spring migration.

Some hummingbirds have a similar hummingbird migration routes and other hummingbirds have different migration routes. South East Arizona happens to be a convenient and a popular migration route for the migrating hummingbirds and at Beatty's Guest Ranch,Miller Canyon,you will be greeted with a heavy traffic of hummingbirds at their hummingbird viewing site. In fact, when I first visited there,I was amazed by the number of hummingbirds I saw and literally,there were everywhere and there were so many different species.

How many Arizona hummingbird species out there? According to Tom Beatty, the owner of Beatty's Guest Ranch, he had witnessed 14 species of hummingbirds in a single day in a particular year and he claims it's a record. When I was there, I found 12 species of hummingbirds and needless to say, I was very excited about it. I didn't expect to find 14 species of hummingbirds during my stay at his ranch knowing that his experience was quite unusual. In some parts of the US, they get only one hummingbird, Ruby-throated hummingbird. Some visitors were from one of those states to see many different species of hummingbirds at Beatty's Guest Ranch. It's interesting to note that Arizona has most number of hummingbird species in North America but they don't have Ruby-throated hummingbird. A rare scattered sighting of Ruby-throated hummingbird in Arizona has been reported but it looks to be an accidental find.