HUMMINGBIRD FACT SHEET: Texas Central Coast
How many hummingbird species nest in the area?
3 = Buff-bellied, Black-chinned and Ruby-throated
How many hummingbird species spend the winter in the area?
8 on a regular basis = Allen’s, Ana’s, Black-chinned, Broad-tailed, Buff-bellied, Calliope, Ruby-throated and Rufous
How many hummingbird species have been reported in the area?
13 = Broad-tailed Hummingbird, Costa’s Hummingbird, Green-breasted Mango, Green Violet Ear, and Violet-crowned Hummingbird are the additional species that have been reported in the area at least once. These species are considered vagrants.
How big is a hummingbird?
Hummingbirds are the tiniest group of birds in the World. Hummingbirds near the Texas Central Coast vary in size from 2.8 to 5 grams. A Ruby-throat typically weighs about 3.5 grams which means it would take 130 Ruby-throats to weigh 1 pound.
How fast does a hummingbirds heart beat?
It can beat up to 1,200 beats per minute, or 20 per second.
How fast do their wings beat?
22 - 78 times per second.
How fast do they fly?
About 25 to 30 miles per hour
What do hummingbirds eat?
Tiny insects like gnats, small spiders and other bugs, along with nectar (sugar water) from flowers.
Why are flowers and feeders for hummingbirds mostly red?
Hummingbirds have color vision and the red flowers makes them more conspicuous.
What is the most abundant hummingbird migrating through the Texas Central Coast?
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Where does the Ruby-throat breed?
Eastern United Staes and southeastern Canada
Where does the Ruby-throat winter?
Most winter in southern Mexico and Central America
What route does it use to migrate between its breeding and wintering grounds?
Most fly around the Gulf and follows the edge of Texas south into Mexico. Some fly directly from southeastern states across the Gulf to Mexico.
What route does it use to migrate between the wintering and breeding grounds?
Most fly directly from southern Mexico to the southeastern United States over the Gulf of Mexico. A small percentage flies around the Gulf through Texas.
How does a Ruby-throat migrate across the Gulf?
It first eats lots of food to add fat to its body. It will grow to about 50% bigger by adding fat and then it will use the fat as fuel to fly long distances. This species can burn all of its fat during one to two days of continuous flying. Hummers also take advantage of winds and will migrate on days when the wind is going its way. Hummingbirds do not ride on the back of other birds.
When do Ruby-throats migrate across the Texas Central Coast?
Most of them fly through in the fall from August through October with a peak during mid September. They migrate through in the spring from mid March to mid May with a peak in mid April.
Additional quality internet sites for hummingbird information are:
http://www.hummingbirdworld.com/
http://trochilids.tripod.com/
http://www.hummingbirdsplus.org/
http://www.rubythroat.org/
http://www.sabo.org/hummers.htm
http://www.hummingbirds.net/
