Hummingbirds in Texas

Scouts reach Texas around March 1, a little earlier in the south of the state and later at elevation. Males travel ahead of females by a week or more and arrive before many native flowers open, so a feeder hung two weeks early, by February 15, gets used. Across 339 Texas cities in the NOAA 1991–2020 normals, the typical last spring freeze falls around March 7, after the first hummingbirds arrive. Expect a few frosty nights with birds already here; bring feeders in if they freeze and rehang them at first light.

Leaving feeders up does not keep hummingbirds from migrating; day length triggers departure. Adults leave first, then juveniles, and late stragglers from farther north pass through after your own birds have gone. In Texas most have left by November 1. Keep at least one feeder clean and filled until November 15, two weeks after the last bird you see. A few western hummingbirds turn up each winter here, so some people keep one feeder going all season.

Feeders bring hummingbirds in; flowers and the insects on them keep them nesting nearby. These natives grow in Texas (USDA 6b–10a):

• Turk's cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii): Shade-tolerant red flowers from spring to frost; small fruit eaten by songbirds.
• Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens): Native tubular red flowers; not the invasive Japanese honeysuckle.
• Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans): Large orange trumpets through midsummer.
• Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis): Scarlet late-summer spikes; a hummingbird magnet in moist soil.
• Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa): Tubular flowers for hummingbirds and seed heads for finches.
• Coral bean (Erythrina herbacea): Red tubular spring flowers for early hummingbirds.
• Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia): Blooms right as Ruby-throated Hummingbirds return.
• Golden currant (Ribes aureum): Early yellow flowers for hummingbirds, then summer fruit.

A typical Texas city logs 31 nights at or below freezing. Sugar water at 1:4 freezes a few degrees below plain water, around 27°F. On colder nights, rotate two feeders, hang a feeder near a porch light or under eaves, or use a heated feeder made for the purpose. Never add more sugar to stop it freezing; stronger nectar is harder on the birds' kidneys.

• Mix 1 cup plain white sugar into 4 cups water; boiling is optional if you use clean water and change it on schedule.
• No red dye, honey, brown sugar or sweeteners. A red feeder is enough to attract them.
• Change nectar every 2 days above 80°F, every 4–5 days in cooler weather; cloudy nectar has fermented.
• Scrub ports with a bottle brush at each change; soak monthly in 1 part vinegar to 4 parts water.
• Use an ant moat and keep feeders out of full afternoon sun to slow spoilage.