Richard Moore Outdoor Report: Shifting Seasons

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — It may not feel quite like it, but the seasons are shifting in South Texas.

As daylight decreases, primordial urges prevail, and the world’s smallest migratory bird is one of the first to divulge that fall is in the air. 

Ruby-throated hummingbirds are some of the earliest to migrate southward, and their vanguard is already passing through the Rio Grande Valley. 

Throughout the Valley, colorful songbirds are flitting through backyards, while overhead migrating flights of waterfowl are arriving. 

As peak fall migration approaches, vast rivers of birds will pass through America’s most critical migratory corridor in southernmost Texas.

Each spring and fall, hundreds of millions of birds pass through the region, far surpassing any other migratory routes that have been documented in North America. 

While the same species of birds frequent the Valley during spring and fall migrations, the pattern of their passage differs. 

Researchers discovered distinct differences in the migratory habits of many bird species during spring and fall.

Migrating birds tend to fly higher during the spring and are much more nocturnal, while in the fall, diurnal migration is more common. 

The spring migration of songbirds is more direct. Many fly straight across the Gulf of Mexico, while in the fall, they tend to fly around the Gulf.

The urgency of spring migration is keyed to nesting success and competition to establish breeding territories in prime areas. 

Banding records reveal that ruby-throated hummingbirds show great fidelity to their chosen migration route, and individual birds have been documented to arrive at the same location year after year. 

Since the record of longevity of a ruby-throat is more than nine years, you just might see an old feathered friend at the backyard feeder this time of year.