Wingspan: Americas Review — The Hummingbird System Makes It Worth It

Stonemaier Games keeps its support rolling for Wingspan since the original release in 2019, and its latest expansion, Wingspan: Americas, aims to be more than just “more birds.” After spending time with the addition, it’s easy to see why the game’s new hummingbird system could be the real reason to upgrade—especially once you’ve learned the base rules.

Wingspan: Americas adds a lot to Wingspan

Like any Wingspan expansion, Wingspan: Americas delivers the kind of content players typically expect: additional birds and new ways to interact with the board. In this case, there are so many new birds included that it’s hard not to imagine experimenting with a smaller group setup using primarily the fresh additions.

One of the most noticeable components is an overlay card designed to sit on the left side of your play area. It covers the section that normally shows the biome panel along with the benefits tied to each row. The overlay is double-sided, so it can be used both with the original Wingspan boards and with the player board introduced by the Oceania expansion.

The key addition on the overlay is a dedicated hummingbird space. Hummingbirds themselves originate from a shared central board that all players will use. At the start of the match, each player begins with a single hummingbird card placed into their central biome, specifically the grasslands. From there, players can gain and add more hummingbirds as the game progresses.

During play, when you activate a row of cards—working across the board from right to left, card by card—you’ll eventually reach the hummingbird area. If the hummingbird slot doesn’t currently hold a card, you take one from the central display and put it on your board. If there is already a card sitting in that space, you remove it, return it to the central board, and then climb the hummingbird track using the new state created by that removal.

An expansion for players who love tracks

The hummingbird track is divided using symbols, and the game uses those symbols to determine how far you move as you remove cards. When you remove a card from your board, you advance along the track based on that card’s symbol. You can also cover a card on the central board with the card you removed, which then changes what’s available and how the track movement plays out.

Beyond simply letting you place even more hummingbirds, the track also grants endgame points depending on where you finish on each section. As you place and activate hummingbirds, you’ll also receive extra perks along the way—things like resources, additional cards, and eggs.

Why are hummingbirds essential to Wingspan: Americas?

One of Wingspan’s most common early-game complaints is how slow the first rounds can feel. In those opening turns, it often seems like you have limited control, and it can be difficult to generate enough resources and birds quickly to get your engine rolling. While Wingspan is still very much an engine-building game, the ramp-up period can feel drawn out before your strategy starts to snowball.

Wingspan: Americas addresses that friction using hummingbirds to push your momentum forward. The system provides extra bonuses that players didn’t previously have access to, and it ties into row activation in a way that keeps turns productive. Each time you run a row, you either add a hummingbird and gain immediate benefits, or you remove a hummingbird and progress along the track. The result is that even a row containing weaker cards—or one with only a handful of cards—still tends to deliver something useful every time you activate it.

Another game mechanic means longer games

While hummingbirds help you start faster and feel better about the early game, they also add some extra time to play. For players who are still brand new to Wingspan, this expansion isn’t presented as strictly required. However, once you’ve fully gotten comfortable with the base game, Wingspan: Americas stands out as a strong first expansion pick.

It’s not just that you get a large batch of distinctive birds with their own abilities—you also get hummingbirds as part of the new system, which changes how your turns feel from round to round.

The endgame scoring you can earn from the hummingbird track is also highlighted as a practical “catch-up” tool for matches where your card draw doesn’t cooperate. If your birds aren’t performing the way you hoped, there’s a clear strategy: work toward advancing across all five tracks. Being positioned near the top of each track can generate a meaningful amount of points during final scoring.

What you need to know

Should I purchase this expansion if I haven’t played the base game yet?

Do you recommend this expansion over other Wingspan expansions?

If I enjoy Wingspan, what other game would you recommend?

Adam has been writing about video games since 2014 and board games since 2018. When he isn’t cheering for the Toronto Maple Leafs or Toronto FC, he’s likely playing on a Nintendo platform with a controller in hand—or at a table with a board game. He’s also outspoken about a few key topics, including his belief that there are board games better than Settlers of Catan, and that Nintendo doesn’t need to compete with Sony and Microsoft.

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