SAN ANTONIO – Some of nature’s smallest birds are flying through Texas right now as they migrate south.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are passing through for their annual migration across the Gulf of Mexico and they need to gain critical body weight to make the journey.
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The ruby-throated hummingbird flies 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico in less than a day, according to ABCbirds.org.
“These guys can be bullies at the feeders,” Texas Parks and Wildlife officials said in a Facebook post.
If you have a “bully hummingbird,” TPWD officials suggest mounting a second feeder on a different side of your house so the bully bird can’t monitor two feeders at once.
To help these frequent fliers on their journey, TPWD officials say you can brew nectar for hummingbird feeders using four parts water and one part white table sugar.
Never use red dye in hummingbird feeders as it’s not something hummingbirds would eat in nature. The red color of hummingbird feeders should be enough to attract the birds.
According to the National Audubon Society, the feeder should be emptied and cleaned with hot tap water or a weak vinegar solution twice a week in hot weather.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are known to consume up to half their body weight in nectar between sunrise and sunset, according to ABCbirds.org. They can also visit more than 1,000 flowers in a single day.