Attracting hummingbirds to your Houston, Texas garden is fun, but it’s even more fun to know exactly who your little visitors are. There are six kinds of hummingbirds that can be seen here in Houston, and with a little knowledge and experience you’ll be able to identify who is who as they flit around your backyard.
Ruby-throated hummingbird. This little hummer is the most common one you’ll see in Houston, Texas, especially during their fall and spring migrations. Not all members of this species migrate, either, so you may see them year round. They are little green birds, and only the males have the red throats that give them their name. They love flower gardens, and are especially attracted to bottlebrush, lantana, iris and pentas.
Buff-belied hummingbird. This species of hummingbird hails originally from Mexico, a rare but regular visitor that is slowly increasing its range toward the north. They are attracted to hummingbird feeders, and if you sight one it will probably be in the winter. They also love flower gardens. You’ll recognize one by its red bill, the only Houston, Texas hummingbird with this color bill. They also have green throats.
Anna’s hummingbird. This hummer is very vocal and aggressive, and he is larger than the ruby-throated hummingbird. Their throats and crowns are dark red. You’ll see them in the winter in Houston, Texas, although they are one of the more rare hummingbirds. Like all hummingbirds, they look for gardens with flowers.
Black-chinned hummingbird. These hummers are also common in winter in Houston, Texas, so look for them from November through May. They look very similar to the ruby-throated hummingbird, but if you look closely you’ll see the throat is black with a little purple-black stripe, not red.
Rufous hummingbird. You’ll spot these hummingbirds during the winter in Houston, Texas. The male is orangey-red, the female is green with a tinge of orange. (Rufous, by definition, is a reddish-brown-orangey color). The rufous will be drawn to your hummingbird garden, so plant species that bloom in the winter. (Try flowering quince and Carolina jessamine.) They also like to live in the woods. These are assertive little birds with sharp chirps.
Broad-tailed hummingbird. Another species that is often confused with the ruby-throated hummingbird, they have longer and wider tails (hence their name), and the males have a rosier throat than the ruby-throat. Also look for a white chin stripe (rubies have dark chins) as well as a reddish-brown tinge on the tail. Again, they look for Houston, Texas gardens with the type of flowers they enjoy.
In addition to the plants and flowers recommended above, you can try using a hummingbird feeder to drawn the little birds. Make sure you keep it very clean, and don’t use red food coloring! You can purchase commercial hummingbird nectar, or make your own with four parts water to one part sugar. To really attract hummingbirds, use the feeder in conjunction with your butterfly garden, or at least plant a few flowers they enjoy. If you feed during the Houston, Texas winter, it is very important to keep it full as, like any birds you choose to feed during the winter, the hummers will come to rely on this food source. Also, hummingbirds can become territorial and aggressive over food sources, so if you are lucky enough to begin to attract a number of hummingbirds, place more than one feeder out.
Source list:
Personal experience
http://houstonaudobon.org
