Earth -Home for all Living Species
Care for Hummingbirds during Fall Migration - Texas
Coexist in Earth
Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds living on earth. Hummingbirds migrate to South during late summer to fall to spend the winter in Central America and Mexico. Young hummingbirds fly without parental guidance and they fly low to spot flowers and insects for their food
"Let us remember that animals are not mere resources for human consumption. They are splendid beings in their own right, who have evolved alongside us as co-inheritors of all the beauty and abundance of life on this planet" ― Marc Bekoff
It is estimated that millions if not billions of birds die every year after colliding with human-built structures. Glass windows and doors are transparent or reflective and are invisible killers. Birds see a tree reflected, not the glass.
Facts About Hummingbirds:
There are 340 species of hummingbirds and are seen only in Americas
Commonly sited species in Texas
- Ruby-throated
- Black-chinned
- Rufous
An Average hummingbird weighs less than a nickel.
Hummingbirds can fly forward, backward, upside down and hover in a place.
They can starve to death in 3 to 5 hours.
Fall Migration:
By August and September, hummingbirds move south to escape the harsh winter in the North.
Ruby-throats gather in Florida, Louisiana and along the South Texas coast in September in preparation for the final push to the south, either over the Gulf of Mexico or via an overland route through Mexico.
The map on the background is based on the hummingbirds spotted between August and December for the year 2018. The darker the color of the state the more number of birds were spotted and reported by people. It can be clearly seen that Texas has more sightings reported.
Migration is quite a challenge for the hummingbird, especially for the ruby-throats, which may travel 2,500 miles from Alaska to Mexico and fly nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico. Many migrating hummers concentrate in the coastal area of Texas for a few weeks before heading for their winter homes in Mexico and Central America.
Threats During Migration
Some of the threats during Hummingbird Migration are:
- Window Collisions
- Pets
- Pesticides
- Weather
According to Wild Life Center of Texas 75% of the Wildlife Center hummingbird patients are because of window strikes.
Care for Hummingbirds:
While climate change posses major threat to hummingbirds, there are certain measure that we as humans can do to take care of these little birds.
Place water and food in feeders.
Plant native plants that hummingbirds can feed in garden.
Put decals in windows to stop/reduce reflection.
