Hummingbirds are considered to be a 'keystone species' in Colorado because these tiny creatures are crucial to the survival of so many other living organisms throughout the state.

These small songbirds will soon be making their way back into Colorado in full force, as part of their annual migration route.

An interactive migration map allows individuals to submit hummingbird sightings across the country. The tracking takes place from late January to late May each year. Documented sightings are placed near the central city, rather than exact coordinates, but it still gives a good glimpse of the hummingbird populations within the state at any given time. There are also maps from previous years available that illustrate the final and complete migration path which is interesting to look at.

All species of hummingbirds are included on the map. Several different kinds of hummingbirds have already been spotted in Colorado in 2022. Black-chinned Hummingbirds were seen in Buena Vista and Gulnare just this week and there have been quite a few Broad-tail Hummingbird sightings recently as well in various locations throughout the state. There haven't been any reported sightings in Northern Colorado just yet but that's bound to change soon as these important pollinators continue to migrate their way to Canada.

It does take several days for sightings to be posted on the map, and in situations where multiple sightings are reported for a single location, only one of those will be placed on the tracker.

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