Texas Hummingbird Festival

A hummingbird visits a feeder.

Hummingbirds are native only to the Western Hemisphere. Most hummingbirds are between two and eight inches in length, making them one of the smallest birds on Earth. During early autumn, ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate through the Gulf Coast area of South Texas on their way to their winter grounds. According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Texas routinely plays host to at least two major hummingbird festivals each September: the Hummer/Bird Celebration in Rockport and the Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravanganza in Lake Jackson.

Hummer/Bird Celebration, Rockport/Fulton

The cities of Rockport and Fulton sit near the Texas Gulf Coast on Aransas Bay, not far from the city of Corpus Christi. The city has celebrated the Annual Hummer/Bird Celebration every September since 1988. During the festival, migrating hummingbirds are observed and banded. Participants place a small drop of paint on the head of each banded bird so it may be easily noted throughout the hummingbird migration. Each banding location uses a different color of paint so that hummingbird watchers can tell where the bird was banded.

Hummingbird Varieties at Rockport

In 1938, Connie Hagar first documented the autumn migration of Ruby-throated hummingbirds in the area around Rockport and Fulton. The Hummer/Bird Celebration annually observes the migration and promotes the study of birds and wildlife in general. The Buff-bellied hummingbird, leucistic hummingbirds and Costa's hummingbird have all been observed during the festival.

Walking Tours & Education

Throughout the year, local residents of Rockport and Fulton work to attract hummingbirds by maintaining their yards with hummingbird-friendly plants and feeders. Self-guided walking tours of these "Hummer Homes" are laid out during the celebration, and visitors might see as many as 100 hummingbirds in one yard alone. Red signs in the shape of a hummingbird mark these tour homes. The Texas Education Agency has endorsed the Hummer/Bird Celebration as an event through which Texas teachers may receive credit for workshop attendance toward a Recognition of Environmental Education Achievement sponsored by the Texas Environmental Education Advisory Committee.

Hummer/Bird Celebration - Rockport/Fulton
Rockport/Fulton Chamber of Commerce
404 Broadway
Rockport, Texas 78382
800-242-0071
www.rockporthummingbird.com

Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza, Lake Jackson

Lake Jackson, Texas, is located off the Texas Gulf Coast near the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge and Galveston Island. During each Saturday in September, the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory sponsors its Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza to observe and band migrating Ruby-throated hummingbirds. Rufous and Buff-bellied hummingbirds have also been spotted at this location.

Gulf Coast Bird Observatory
www.gcbo.org

Migration

Most of the Ruby-throated hummingbirds seen in migration along the Texas Gulf Coast spend their winters in southern Mexico or Panama, though some do stay in Texas. As with other species of birds, banding is performed by safely catching individual birds and placing an numbered aluminum strip around one of the bird's legs. The species can then be studied by gathering information from a large sampling of individually banded birds.

References

• Hummer/Bird Celebration: 2010 Hummer/Bird Celebration
• Hummer/Bird Study Group: Hummer/Bird Study Group, Inc.
• Texas Parks & Wildlife: Annual Birding & Nature Festivals
• Hummingbirds.net: Migration Basics

Resources

• Hummer/Bird Celebration: 2010 Hummer/Bird Celebration
• Hummer/Bird Study Group: Hummer/Bird Study Group, Inc.