Bird experts say that now is the time to see more colorful birds migrate their way in and through Iowa.

Jefferson resident and Carroll County Conservation Naturalist Matt Wetrich talks about seeing more unusual birds through mid-May with orioles, buntings and tanagers.

“End of April and beginning of May is our prime time for seeing these neon-tropic migrants. So these are the birds that spent the winters in the rainforest. Well they look like they’d fit in with all those other tropical birds. So they winter in the rainforest and then they will start coming through our area.”

Wetrich offers these tips to attract some of these kinds of birds to your yard from bird feeders, such as hummingbirds.

“So one parts white sugar to four parts water, you can make your own. Don’t get the red dye, don’t get any of the red stuff in it that’s not necessary at all, and potentially harmful to hummingbirds. Then also getting out orange halves, grapes, (as) those are a great nutritional food. Again these are birds that are going to be coming from the rainforest where there’s tons of fruit for them in the wild.”

Wetrich points out that now is the time where Iowans will see the most bird diversity of the year.