Rockport Hummingbird Festival
38th Annual HummerBird Celebration · Sept 17–20, 2026
Four days of the Rockport Hummingbird Festival. Fifteen speakers. Hundreds of thousands of hummingbirds funneling through Rockport-Fulton on their way across the Gulf. One of the great birding festivals in Texas.
38th
Annual Celebration
Sept 17–20
2026 Dates
15
Speaker Programs
4
Days of Events
Rockport-Fulton’s HummerBird Celebration
Every September, Rockport and Fulton host the HummerBird Celebration — a four-day festival that has grown from a small local gathering into one of the premier birding events in Texas. Birders, wildlife photographers, and nature enthusiasts travel here from across North America for one reason: hundreds of thousands of hummingbirds funneling through the Coastal Bend on their way across the Gulf of Mexico.
The 38th Annual HummerBird Celebration runs September 17–20, 2026. The 2026 lineup is out: 15 speaker programs at the Martha Luigi Auditorium, guided boat and field trips, live bird banding, a Whooping Crane keynote, and self-guided hummer home tours spread across four days.
But the festival is really just the organized cherry on top. The real show happens everywhere in Rockport and Fulton for the entire month of September — at every feeder, in every garden, along every coastal brush line. The birds don’t read the festival calendar. They just need to eat.
📖 Get the Free Printed Program
Everything on this page — every price, every address — comes from the official program. Pick up your own free copy at the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Center (319 Broadway, Rockport, TX 78382 · 9am–5pm Mon–Fri, 9am–2pm Sat) or at the Hummer Mall (402 N. Fulton Beach Rd., Fulton Convention Center · Fri/Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–3pm).
Get Directions →Festival Costs at a Glance
The full official price list — tickets available online and at the Ticket Box Office in the High School Auditorium, Thursday through Saturday.
💵 Tickets & Pricing
All Speaker Passes$45
Single Speaker Pass at the Door$15
Hummer Home Bus Trips$30
Saturday Breakfast at the History Center$40
Boat Birding Trips$95
Sunday Brunch Boat Birding Trip$140
Fennessey Ranch Field Trip$65
Welder Wildlife Refuge Field Trip$65
Barnhart Q5 Ranch Bus Field Trip$65
Goose Island State Park Tour$40
Backyard Birding with Susan$15
Cemetery Bird Walk$10
Hawk Watch Tour at Hazel Bazemore Park$40
Wings Rescue Live Raptors Presentation$30
Photography Sessions$25
Hummer MallFree
Self-Guided Hummer Home ToursFree
Public HummerBird Banding ObservationFree
Opening ReceptionFree
🛍️ Commemorative Merchandise
T-Shirts$28
Wine Tumblers$15
Stainless Steel Tumbler$30
Visor$10
Oyster Shells$15
Birding Hat$30
Ball Cap$20
While supplies last, at the Chamber Information Booth in the Hummer Mall.
🛒 Take Rockport Home
Hummingbird Sunset Tee
$23.50 · Buy on Printful →
🎒
Don't Forget to Pack
Festival days are long and the Texas coast sun doesn't quit. A few things that make it easier.
Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Ed.
The field guide serious birders carry — 6,000+ illustrations, all North American species
~$21
Shop →
Sawyer Picaridin Spray
DEET-free — safe for optics, polycarbonate sunglasses, and rubber. DEET destroys them.
~$11
Shop →
Nocs Standard Issue 10x25 Binoculars
Compact, waterproof, and built for the field — the single most useful thing you can bring to the festival
~$90
Shop →
Nocs Zoom Tube 8x32 Monocular
One-eye, pocket-sized alternative to binoculars — lighter to carry all four festival days
~$80
Shop →
UPF 50+ Wide-Brim Sun Hat
Texas coast sun is relentless year-round — wide brim is not optional on the bay flats
~$17
Shop →
Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag 10L
For boat tours and kayak trips — keeps camera, phone, and binoculars dry on Aransas Bay
~$21
Shop →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
2026 Speaker Lineup
Fifteen authors, ornithologists, and researchers over four days — from a Whooping Crane conservation keynote to the science behind eBird. Every talk is a one-hour program at the Martha Luigi Auditorium, 1803 Omohundro St, Rockport.
All Speaker Pass
$45
All 15 speakers · Children 12 & under free
Single Speaker Pass
$15
Redeemable for any one lecture
Thursday, Sept 17
2:20 pm
Ben Horstmann — Birding in Texas State Parks — Your Other Backyard
A virtual tour of South Texas state parks and when to visit each one, from the Texas Parks & Wildlife regional interpretive specialist.
3:40 pm
Birding Panel Discussion — Local Birders on Rockport’s Best Hotspots
A panel of local birders shares favorite hotspots and must-see birds, both for the festival weekend and any time of year. (Not included in the speaker passes.)
🎒 Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Ed.
The field guide serious birders carry — 6,000+ illustrations, all North American species
~$21
Shop →
Friday, Sept 18
10:20 am
Christine Anastas — Monarch Butterflies: Biology, Tech Tracking & Citizen Science
How new radio trackers are rewriting what we thought we knew about monarch migration — plus a new fall citizen science project anyone can join.
11:40 am
Sam Wolfe — The Secret Life of Whimbrels
A Manomet shorebird biologist follows the Hudsonian Whimbrel from the Texas coast to its nesting grounds on Alaska’s North Slope.
1:00 pm
Glenn Olsen — 3 Secrets to Attract Birds
Practical tricks for turning any yard into a magnet for birds, from a Native Plant Society of Texas past president.
2:20 pm
Dr. Liz Smith — The Magic of Hummingbirds in Aransas County
Why so many hummingbirds funnel through this stretch of coast, from a longtime Whooping Crane conservation researcher.
3:40 pm
David Sarkozi — What’s in a Name: The Eponymous Names of Birds
The people behind the 80+ eponymous bird names the American Ornithological Society voted to retire — and why it matters.
5:00 pm
Sky Kings Falconry — Wildlife Revealed — Live Raptors Indoors
Hawks, owls, and other birds of prey in free flight indoors. Arrive early — doors close once the program starts.
🎒 Sawyer Picaridin Spray
DEET-free — safe for optics, polycarbonate sunglasses, and rubber. DEET destroys them.
~$11
Shop →
Saturday, Sept 19
10:20 am
Jennifer Bristol — Wild Women for Good: Stories of Conservation in Texas
The women who’ve led Texas bird conservation since the 1890s, from the author of Wild Women for Good.
11:40 am
Dr. Rebekah Rylander — The Power of eBird: How Citizen Science Is Shaping Conservation
How a Rockport-based scientist and the Rio Grande Joint Venture turn everyday eBird checklists into real conservation science.
1:00 pm
Ginger Easton Smith — Beyond Beautiful: Hummingbirds as Powerhouse Pollinators
What hummingbirds actually do for your garden beyond looking spectacular, from Aransas County’s Agricultural & Natural Resources Agent.
2:20 pm
Libby Even — Hawkwatching 101
How the nearby Corpus Christi Hawk Watch counts thousands of raptors in a single “kettle” — and how to start identifying them yourself.
3:40 pm
Sky Kings Falconry — Wildlife Revealed — Live Raptors Indoors
A second showing of Friday’s live raptor program.
5:00 pm
Dr. Carter Crouch — Whooping Cranes: A Conservation Story That Is Still Being Written
Keynote. The Director of Gulf Coast Programs for the International Crane Foundation on the comeback from 21 wild birds in the 1940s — and the work still ahead for North America’s tallest bird. See our own guide to Rockport’s wintering flock on the Whooping Cranes page.
🎒 UPF 50+ Wide-Brim Sun Hat
Texas coast sun is relentless year-round — wide brim is not optional on the bay flats
~$17
Shop →
Sunday, Sept 20
10:20 am
Kelsey Low — Decoding the Language of Birds
What all that chirping actually means — songs vs. calls, common call types, and an (ungraded) bird-language quiz.
11:40 am
Dr. Brent Ortego — Christmas Bird Count Population Trends in Texas, 1966–2023
Six decades of Texas Christmas Bird Count data — which species are climbing, which are sliding, from a retired TPWD biologist.
1:00 pm
Daniel Gomez — The Art of Bird Watching: Where Birding & Photography Meet
An award-winning San Antonio wildlife photographer on how birding and photography skills sharpen each other.
🎒 Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag 10L
For boat tours and kayak trips — keeps camera, phone, and binoculars dry on Aransas Bay
~$21
Shop →
Get Your Speaker Pass →
Doesn’t include the Thursday Birding Panel or the Rockport Center for the Arts programs — see below.
Festival Activities at a Glance
Beyond the speaker series, the HummerBird Celebration fills four days with boat trips, ranch tours, live banding, and free family programs. Times and addresses below are from the official 2026 printed program — exact schedules and pricing for the boat tour, bus tour, and ranch trips can shift year to year, so registering through the chamber’s QR codes/website is still the way to lock in a spot.
🚤
On the Water
Boat Birding with Captain Tommy Moore
215 N. Fulton Beach Rd. $95. Two-hour trips on "the Skimmer," departing Fulton Harbor — Thu 3pm & 6pm, Fri/Sat 9am, noon, 3pm & 6pm. Protected bay waters, inside and outside decks, restrooms aboard. Typically 30–60 species per trip.
Sunday Brunch on the Bay
215 N. Fulton Beach Rd. $140. A longer, 4-hour version departing Sunday at 9am with food and drinks included — the most relaxed, highest-species-count trip of the weekend.
🌾
Guided Field Trips
Fennessey Ranch & Barnhart Q5 Ranch
Half-day bus trips to two privately owned Coastal Bend properties — a 3,361-acre wildlife oasis and a working ranch hayride tour.
Welder Wildlife Refuge
Guided birding on a historic conservation ranch managed by the Welder Wildlife Foundation.
Goose Island State Park Tour
202 S. Palmetto St. $40. Fri–Sun, 8:30–11:30am — arrive 15 minutes early. "Birds of Texas" talk in the historic 1930s CCC-built pavilion, then birding led by Ben Horstmann and Sara Rock.
Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch
A day trip to Corpus Christi’s legendary hawk-watching site, hosted by Swarovski Optik — one of the most significant hawk migration points in the country.
🆓
Free & Hands-On
Self-Guided Hummer Home Tours
26 homes and Pathways sites, open dawn to dusk during the festival — full address list below, no map pickup required.
Guided Hummer Home Bus Tour
402 N. Fulton Beach Rd. $30. Fri/Sat 7:15am, 9:30am, 1:30pm & 3:45pm, Sun 9:30am. Visits three locations plus an exclusive hummingbird banding demo by Master Bander Susan Heath.
Live Bird Banding at Branch-Smith Home
166 S. Palmetto St. (Lamar). Free. Fri/Sat 7:30–11am & 1:30–3:30pm, Sun 8–11am. Open to the public, great for kids — Master Bander Kelly Bryan and team, on a shady wraparound porch.
Hummer Mall
402 N. Fulton Beach Rd. (Fulton Convention Center). Fri/Sat 9am–5pm, Sun 10am–3pm. Vendor booths, food trucks, and a raffle at the Chamber booth ($5/ticket or 5 for $20, drawn Sunday 1pm).
🎓
Skills & Workshops
Bird Photography 101, Parts 1 & 2
A two-part class with Master Photographer Angie Birmingham — camera basics and gear, then sharp-focus action techniques.
Butterfly Gardening Talks
Author Elizabeth White-Olsen on Coastal Bend butterflies and how to attract them to a yard of any size.
Wings Rescue Live Raptors
Rescued owls, hawks, and other raptors up close, with their recovery stories from a 100% volunteer-run center.
🎉
Casual & Social
Opening Reception
204 S. Austin St. (Rockport Center for the Arts). Thursday 5–6:30pm. Live music by Melissa Ann & George Bennett, Sky Kings Falconry, live bird painting by Bettine Goodwin, sculpture by Peter Mangan. Free to those registered.
Cemetery Bird Walks
Author Jennifer Bristol leads walks at Rockport-Fulton Cemetery — an unexpectedly great birding spot, tied to her "Parking Lot & Cemetery Birding" book.
Backyard Birding with Susan
A guided sit in a local oak-shaded Rockport backyard with a longtime local guide.
☕
Food & Gathering
Hummer Breakfast at the Aransas County History Center
Outdoor breakfast under live oaks, surrounded by feeders — this year paired with a Humanities Texas exhibit for America 250.
🐦 Hand-Feed a Hummingbird
Loved a backyard setup on the tour below? These are the same style of ring and handheld feeders locals use to get hummingbirds eating right out of their hand — worth setting up at your own place.
ZUMMR Ring Feeder, 2-Pack
$9.99 · Shop on Amazon →
iBorn Handheld Feeder, Set of 2
$17.99 · Shop on Amazon →
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
2026 Self-Guided Hummer Home Tour — Addresses & Directions
26 homes and Aransas Pathways sites open their gardens to the public during the HummerBird Celebration — straight from the official 2026 printed program, which has more detail than the chamber’s own website. Tap any address for directions, or use the pre-loaded MapQuest route above to hit all 26 stops in order. This list is specific to the 2026 festival dates (Sept 17–20) — several are private residences only open during the celebration, so please respect the homeowners and stick to public viewing.
🗺️ Plan Your Own Route
The chamber pre-built a MapQuest route through all 26 Hummer Home stops in order. Scan it and go, or build your own by adding stops in whatever order works for you.
Open the Pre-Loaded Route →A
Connie Hagar Sanctuary Cottage
1429 S. Church St., Rockport · Directions →
Pathways site — 6.24 acres, oak motte & native grasses, original Rockport Cottages location
B
Linnell "Chandelier" Home
1012 Dallas St., Rockport · Directions →
Home swarming with hummingbirds — road turns to gravel near the end
C
Bay Area Brewing
525 W. Market St., Rockport · Directions →
Shaded beer garden under live oaks with trumpet creeper — free-range rooster on site
D
Zachary Taylor Park
702 S. Pearl St., Rockport · Directions →
Arboretum park with a 400–600-year-old live oak tied to Gen. Zachary Taylor's 1845 army camp
E
Aransas Pathways History Center
801 E. Cedar St., Rockport · Directions →
Extensive hummingbird gardens, 20 native-plant plaques, gazebo — site of Saturday's Hummer Breakfast
F
White Home
1106 N. Magnolia St., Rockport · Directions →
Water-wise front yard also draws woodpeckers and orioles — front yard viewing only
G
Spruce Home
1110 N. Magnolia St., Rockport · Directions →
Right next to the White Home — see two Hummer Homes at once
H
Bent Oaks Rookery Park
1401 Broadway St., Rockport · Directions →
Federally protected great blue heron and egret rookery — hummingbirds too this time of year
I
Rockport Demo Bird Garden & Wetlands Pond
2402 Hwy 35 N, Rockport · Directions →
♿ Wheelchair accessible. Pathways site — boardwalk through marsh and woods, feeders up for the festival
J
Pathways Center — Pavilion & Bridge
2491 Hwy 35 N, Rockport · Directions →
♿ Wheelchair accessible. Creek-view pavilion, wooden bridge over Tule Creek
K
La Ventana de Esperanza
108 Oak Ridge Ave., Fulton · Directions →
Oak-shaded lawn between Bellino's and the bay, herb garden, screened Casa de Pescado
L
Wright Home
418 Cherry Hills, Rockport · Directions →
Rockport Country Club, cul-de-sac on the golf course — nearly 40 feeders
M
Kuhn Home
208 Olympic Dr., Rockport · Directions →
Live oaks, birdbaths, and pool-side viewing
N
Foster Home
128 Marion Dr., Rockport · Directions →
Certified pollinator garden on the Country Club border
O
McGree Home
214 N. 3rd St., Fulton · Directions →
Blocks from Fulton Harbor — firebush and esperanza plantings (2nd house, green & purple)
P
Cate Home
510 Sanctuary Dr., Rockport · Directions →
Five wooded acres, pond draws herons, egrets, and wood ducks
Q
Crouch Home
106 Poquito Dr., Rockport · Directions →
Native flowering plants and live oaks in the front yard
R
Linda S. Castro Sanctuary
4041 Hwy 35 N, Fulton · Directions →
♿ Wheelchair accessible. Pathways preserve — three coastal habitats, pavilion overlooking the pond. See our full guide below.
S
Holliday Home
5451 Highway 35 North #130, Rockport · Directions →
Inside the Bay View RV Resort, lot #130 — oak trees, native/adaptive plants for hummers, pollinators, and butterflies
T
Sutter Home
101 Silver Oak Place, Rockport · Directions →
The Preserve — pocket prairie, boardwalks to a wetland, feeders sprinkled through native plants along a winding trail
U
Green Home
102 Silver Oak Place, Rockport · Directions →
The Preserve, across from the Sutter Home — certified wildlife habitat, feeders in the front wooded area and courtyard
V
Goose Island State Park
202 S. Palmetto St, Rockport · Directions →
A stopover for hummingbirds and whooping cranes alike — feeding stations at the park's bird-viewing areas
W
Branch-Smith Home
166 S. Palmetto St, Lamar · Directions →
🎯 Public Bird Banding Home — shady wraparound porch, heavily wooded with mature oaks. See Live Bird Banding above.
X
Sigrist Home
236 Lakeside, Lamar · Directions →
Back porch lake views — hummingbirds feeding in the backyard
Plum Home
352 Club Oak Lane, Holiday Beach · Directions →
Bayfront community north of Rockport — feeders, birdbaths, fountains
Parish Home
375 Royal Oak Lane, Holiday Beach · Directions →
♿ Wheelchair accessible per the program — 1-acre lot, plenty of parking, next to the Plum Home
Source: official 2026 HummerBird Celebration printed program, Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce. Addresses and participation can change year to year — this list applies to the 2026 festival.
See You in September
Hundreds of hummingbirds in a single backyard. Fifteen speakers, guided boat trips, live banding, and four days of Rockport-Fulton hospitality. Book your tickets and your room early — festival weekend fills up fast.