Outdoors

For something that weighs only a few grams, a hummingbird can make an ordinary Austin backyard feel surprisingly busy.

A flash of green near a Turk’s cap. A blur hovering at the feeder. A tiny bird suddenly chasing another away from a patch of flowers. As summer begins giving way to fall in Central Texas, those quick encounters are becoming more common as hummingbirds move through the Austin area on their annual journey south.

September is an especially good time for Austin residents to watch.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department describes fall bird migration through Austin as a more drawn-out season than spring migration, with birds moving through the region from summer well into late fall. For hummingbirds, Central Texas sits in an interesting transition zone where western and eastern species overlap, giving local residents opportunities to see several kinds of hummingbirds during migration. 

And this year, the timing could hardly be better for anyone hoping to look out the kitchen window and catch one passing through. Audubon Texas identifies Sept. 5 through Oct. 29 as the peak fall migration period for birds across Texas, part of a broader fall migration season extending from Aug. 15 through Nov. 30.

Why Hummingbirds Migrate Through Austin Each Fall

The birds showing up in Austin are not all coming from the same place, and they are not necessarily headed to exactly the same destination.

Central Texas is home during the warmer months to large numbers of Black-chinned Hummingbirds, the most common hummingbird across much of central and western Texas. Texas Parks and Wildlife describes Black-chinned Hummingbirds as relatively common spring and summer residents in the western half of the state. 

By late summer and fall, many begin moving south toward wintering areas in Mexico.

At the same time, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds moving south from breeding areas across the eastern United States and southern Canada also pass through Texas. Austin sits near the western edge of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird’s traditional nesting range, making the region something of a crossroads for the two species. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds ultimately winter primarily from southern Mexico through Central America as far south as Costa Rica. Some migrate around the Gulf of Mexico, while others make the extraordinary flight directly across it. 

That helps explain why Texas becomes so important.

Before attempting the next leg of the trip, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds often concentrate along the Texas coast and build up the fat reserves needed for the journey. Texas Parks and Wildlife notes that large numbers move through the state in fall before gathering near the coast ahead of their Gulf crossing.

Austin may be hundreds of miles from the coastline, but a flower patch, feeder or wooded creek corridor here can still function as one of the many refueling stops along the way.

What Austin Residents May See This Fall

For most people around Austin, the most likely visitor remains the Black-chinned Hummingbird.

Adult males can appear fairly dark at first glance, but in the right light a narrow band beneath the black throat flashes a deep purple. Females and young birds are much less conspicuous, making identification trickier during fall migration.

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds may become increasingly noticeable as migrants move through. Adult males are unmistakable when sunlight catches their brilliant red throat, but females and immature birds do not have the same bright patch.

Central Texas can also turn up a few surprises.

Texas Parks and Wildlife records show that Rufous Hummingbirds can occur in the Hill Country from late summer through fall, while Broad-tailed and Calliope Hummingbirds are less common but possible. Austin-area birding locations have documented primarily Black-chinned and Ruby-throated hummingbirds during migration, along with occasional Rufous visitors. 

That means the hummingbird hovering outside an Austin window in September may not necessarily be one that spent the summer nearby.

It could be a traveler making a brief stop before continuing hundreds — or even thousands — of miles farther south.

Your Austin Yard Can Become a Migration Rest Stop

Residents do not need a large garden to help.

A small backyard, patio, apartment balcony or neighborhood green space can provide useful food during migration, particularly when it includes flowering plants and safely maintained feeders. Audubon notes that even apartment residents can attract migrating hummingbirds by combining flowering plants with a feeder. 

Native and adapted flowering plants are especially valuable because hummingbirds need more than sugar.

They drink nectar for energy, but they also eat tiny insects and spiders for protein. Native landscapes generally support more of those insects while also producing natural nectar sources. 

Texas plants recommended for hummingbirds include Turk’s cap, flame acanthus, Texas lantana, scarlet sage, coral honeysuckle, autumn sage, cardinal flower, trumpet creeper and desert willow, among others. 

For Austin homeowners already thinking about fall landscaping, planting for hummingbirds can therefore provide something attractive for people while adding another small patch of usable habitat for migrating wildlife.

Using a Hummingbird Feeder? Cleanliness Matters in Austin Heat

Feeders can be helpful during migration, but only when maintained carefully.

Audubon recommends making hummingbird nectar with four parts water to one part plain white granulated sugar. Honey, artificial sweeteners and red dye should not be used.

Austin’s lingering September heat also means nectar can spoil quickly.

Audubon recommends cleaning feeders every two to three days and even daily during particularly hot conditions. Any nectar that becomes cloudy should be replaced immediately. Keeping feeders shaded can also slow fermentation. 

Residents with several hummingbirds competing over one feeder can try spacing multiple feeders far enough apart that one territorial bird cannot easily guard all of them.

Anyone who has watched a hummingbird defend a feeder already knows how seriously these tiny birds take ownership.

Don’t Take Feeders Down Because You Think Birds Need to Leave

One persistent fall hummingbird myth is that leaving a feeder outside will prevent the birds from migrating.

It will not.

Hummingbird migration is driven largely by instinct and seasonal changes including daylight, not by someone continuing to provide sugar water. Audubon advises residents to leave feeders available while hummingbirds are still visiting and notes that late migrants can continue appearing after the birds people watched all summer have moved on. 

For Austin residents, that means there is no need to rush the feeder into storage simply because October arrives.

A bird appearing late in the season may be exactly the one that benefits most from finding it.

A Few Other Ways Austin Can Help Migrating Birds

Hummingbirds may get much of the attention during fall migration, but they are moving through Texas alongside millions of other birds.

Audubon Texas encourages residents and businesses to reduce unnecessary nighttime lighting during migration because artificial light can disorient birds traveling through urban areas. The organization’s Lights Out, Texas! campaign identifies Sept. 5 through Oct. 29 as the fall peak migration period. 

Window safety matters as well.

Audubon Texas recommends reducing reflective glass hazards, while its hummingbird guidance suggests placing feeders either within three feet of a window or more than 30 feet away to reduce the danger of high-speed window collisions. Keeping cats indoors can also help protect birds visiting feeders and gardens. 

Those may seem like small changes. Across a city the size of Austin, however, thousands of safer yards, balconies and buildings can add up to considerably more usable space for birds passing through.

One of Fall’s Smallest Signs of Change in Austin

Austin does not get the dramatic autumn transformation associated with colder parts of the country. September can still feel very much like summer.

Hummingbirds offer a quieter marker that the season is moving forward.

Some of the Black-chinned Hummingbirds that spent months around Central Texas are beginning to leave. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds from farther north are filtering through. Others may appear for only a morning or afternoon before continuing south.

For residents, watching that migration can be as simple as spending a few extra minutes near a patch of flowers.

And for a bird preparing to cross Texas, Mexico and perhaps even the Gulf of Mexico, an Austin backyard filled with nectar-producing flowers and a clean feeder may be more than scenery.

It can be the next place to stop, eat and gather enough energy to keep going.

Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more Austin-area seasonal updates, wildlife stories and practical ways residents can connect with the changing Central Texas landscape.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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