Although the concentration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds is a focus of the HummerBird Celebration, guided tours and other birding opportunities feature the migrating and resident birds (Tricolored Heron illustrated) that make the greater Rockport-Fulton area one of the best birding destinations along the Texas Gulf Coast.

Here’s a birding festival for everyone that really delivers after more than 30 years of providing a quality birding celebration that emphasizes “flocks” of migrating Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, along with the promise of a remarkable variety of resident species – wading birds, raptors, shorebirds, waterfowl, and songbirds, plus a wealth of fall migrants. Join the excitement of the 31st HummerBird Celebration in the sister cities of Rockport and Fulton, on the Gulf Coast of Texas – Thursday through Sunday September 19 to 22.

A special Celebration opportunity includes visits to a number of “Hummer Homes” that will be open up to the public during specific hours to view Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at hosts’ backyard feeding stations and flower gardens. But the variety of HummerBird events offer birding trips that include boat and nature tours, photography instruction sessions, guided field tours, renowned speakers, a variety of workshops, outdoor exhibits, two “Hummer Malls” filled with vendors marketing birding and nature-related products, and a big Texas barbecue with featured speakers.

Since the HummerBird Celebration was initiated in 1988, the event has continuously added new and exciting activities to this nationally acclaimed birding festival. Some of the many popular activities throughout the weekend include guided bus trips to see concentrations of hummingbirds, periodic hummingbird banding demonstrations presented by a master bander, and three bird photography workshops featuring expert photographers.

The region surrounding the communities of Rockport and Fulton offers excellent birding opporutunities where birders can search for such exciting species as Tricolored Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets, Mottled Ducks, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Purple Gallinules, Least Grebes, Black Skimmers, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Crested Caracaras, Black Vultures, plus an ever-changing variety of migrating songbirds, shorebirds, raptors, waterbirds, and more.

One of the first birding festivals established in America, the HummerBird Celebration features the spectacular fall migration of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds as they make a feeding stopover in the Rockport-Fulton area on their way south to their wintering range in Mexico and Central America. The hummingbirds pause in the area each fall to prepare for the most arduous leg of their migration – when they fly non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico, an incredible flight of more than 800 miles. While in the area, the hummers eat enough to increase their body fat by up to 50 percent to fuel their continued migration. While in the area, the concentrations of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds attract birders from far and wide to experience this impressive natural event.

Among the most popular birding festivals in America, this 31st HummerBird Celebration showcases the Rockport-Fulton community’s commitment to birding with a tribute to Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, and all migrant and resident birds of the area. To purchase tickets or find out more information about activities and events, please visit www.rockporthummingbird.com