Birdbuddy has offered a unique opportunity to capture hummingbird moments since 2022 and today, that collective effort has grown into a dataset of 508,421 hummingbird sightings.

What began as a handful of observations, just 460 in the first year, has grown into one of the largest real-time, community-driven datasets of hummingbird activity ever assembled. By 2025 alone, the number reached 461,749 sightings in a single year, transforming what was once anecdotal into something measurable at scale.

The result is not just more data. It is a fundamentally different level of visibility.

At first glance, it looks simple: a constellation of dots spreading across North and Central America. But each of those dots represents a real moment: a hummingbird observed, identified, and placed in time and space. By combining data from more than 34,000 hummingbird feeders, Birdbuddy makes it possible to simply subscribe and stay connected to migration as it unfolds, receiving updates on which species have been spotted nearby, when they were last seen, and when they’re likely to arrive in your area.

‍A Dataset That Reflects Reality

‍Across more than half a million sightings, Bird Buddy identified 21 species, from commonly seen Allen’s and Rufous hummingbirds to rare appearances of Lucifer, Rivoli’s, and Azure-crowned hummingbirds.

Through the first half of the year, sightings build steadily. Then, in late summer, something shifts. Activity accelerates rapidly through July and August before reaching a sharp peak in September, with 99,289 sightings in a single month.

That spike represents a continental movement of hummingbirds heading south.

A Community Large Enough to See Nature Move

Birdbuddy’s network of tens of thousands of feeders transforms individual observations into a continuous stream of data. Each feeder captures a small, local moment, forming a system capable of tracking one of the fastest migrations in the natural world.

It allows us to see not just where birds are, but how their movement evolves, how it responds to seasons, and how it may shift over time.

Do not have a feeder yet? 

Join one of the largest hummingbird communities in the world and experience their journey as it unfolds.