An Anna’s Hummingbird is among the nine species of wintering hummingbirds found in West Texas.

Western Texas is gaining notoriety quickly as a hummingbird center. Overall, 16 species of hummingbirds have been recorded in the Fort Davis area of West Texas. Most of those species usually are seen from mid-March through early November. But now, nine of those species have been observed during the winter months. The most common wintering species in the region include Rufous, Anna’s and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds; but six other species have been found during winter, including Broad-billed Hummingbirds, Violet-crowned, Ruby-throated, Black-chinned, Costa’s and Allen’s Hummingbirds.

Rarest among the many species was an immature Amethyst-throated Hummingbird, first sighted October 14, 2016, which was the first confirmed record of the species in the United States. Other exciting species include Rivoli’s Hummingbirds, Green Violetears and Blue-throated Hummingbirds. You will hear more about this exciting region, with the newly formed West Texas Research Center located in Fort Davis and the work being conducted at the Hummingbird House near Christoval, Texas. Also, watch for the Fort Davis Hummingbird Festival from August 21 to 25 in 2019.

During the prime hummingbird season, Perky-Pet sponsors a live-streaming hummingbird feeder cam in partnership with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, but now you can see recorded videos on their website to get a sample of the action in West Texas at https://www.perkypet.com/articles/live-hummingbird-cam

Also visit these websites for more info about West Texas hummingbirding and research: http://westtexashummingbirds.com/ and http://www.hummerhouse.com/