Hummingbirds: Winter is edging ever closer, and as the key signs of fall roll through, one question residents may have is, where have the hummingbirds gone?

The majority of North American hummingbirds fly to Mexico or Central America for the winter. While these journeys aren’t as long as those made by South America-bound warblers, they are impressive nonetheless, especially considering the diminutive size of hummingbirds.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird, for example, weighs little more than a penny, but it can make the 500-mile journey across the Gulf of Mexico in less than a day, according to abcbirds.org.

Meanwhile, the three-inch-long Rufous Hummingbird makes one of the longest migratory trips in the bird world.

Its 3,900-mile journey is roughly equal to 78.4 million body lengths. (The Arctic Tern’s one-way journey of 11,000 miles, by comparison, is less than 52 million body lengths.)

Hummingbirds typically begin their journey south when the daylight hours begin to decrease.

They are on the hunt for flowers and insects, but their travel is driven by sunlight — or the decrease thereof in our area.

In the spring, they make a triumphant return, retreating from the tropics where food competition may get fierce for the little birds. Ruby-throated hummingbirds can travel as many as 20 miles per day once they reach the US.

One interesting piece of folklore is that hummingbirds travel in style, riding on the backs of geese or other birds. This is not the case, although the birds are known to fly over water in a mixed flock with other avian species.

In contrast to most North American hummingbirds, Anna’s Hummingbirds do not migrate, although they will sometimes move short distances to search for additional food sources. Anna’s Hummingbirds now occupy an area of habitat stretching from northern Mexico to Southern Canada.