February 8, 2021

Early Bird By Lydia Holley

Even though wintery freezes are forecasted within the next several days, there are signs of spring’s eventual appearance. Daffodils, grape hyacinths, flowering quince, and cemetery irises are blooming. My husband even spotted a hummingbird in our back yard. That seemed so extremely early, I checked online. Sure enough, hummingbirds have started their migration northward, with at least one reported sighting as far north as Dallas.

The hummingbirds that visited your feeders last year will most likely come back again this year, and for years to come. Sources state hummingbirds can live five to fifteen years. And they appreciate the extra sugary offerings. With wings moving at 50 beats per minute, their heart rate can surge to over 1,200 beats per minute. That is quite the workout. No wonder they take in nourishment at such a high rate, flicking their tongues at around 13 licks per second. Even though their heart rate slows at night, their needs are so great, if a hummingbird does not get enough nourishment, they can starve within a matter of hours.

Although the Ruby Throated hummingbird is the type most seen in East Texas, there are a variety of hummingbirds which make Texas their home, including the Black Chinned and Rufous hummers in the western portion of the state; the Buff Bellied hummingbird along the Gulf Coast; and the Broad-tailed, Blue Throated, Calliope, Lucifer, and Rivoli’s hummingbirds in West Texas or dotted along the Mexico border.

There are over 300 species of hummingbirds, with over one-third of those making their home in Ecuador. There, you could see hummingbirds that are as beautiful as their names are interesting, such as the Gorgeted Sunangel, Glowing Puffleg, Gould’s Jewelfront, and Shining Sunbeam.

You may even wish to begin a fun lifelong project of seeing every hummingbird species. This quest would skip Europe, Africa, Antarctica, Asia, and Australia, but you would travel the Western Hemisphere, seeing such wonders as the two-inch long Bee hummingbird in Cuba, and the eight-inch Giant hummingbird in the Andes of South America.

Want to add plants to your landscape to attract hummingbirds? Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center recommends the following: Beebalm, Cardinal flower, Cenzio, Coral honeysuckle, Crossvine, Flame Acanthus, Lantana, Penstemons, Red Yucca, Salvias, Scarlet Buckeye, Standing Cypress, Texas Star Hibiscus, Trumpet Creeper, and Turk’s cap.

For more information, call 903-675-6130, email [email protected], or visit txmg.org/hendersonmg.