Sunday, October 14, 2012

Why do hummingbirds fight?

“Cool it, guys! There’s plenty for everybody!”

Yes, I do talk to my birds, and often exhort the hummers to play nice with one another and stop fighting over the feeders. These fierce little jewels always ignore my advice. I recently read a discussion on a hummingbird mailing list that goes a long way toward explaining this aspect of hum-behavior.

According to Lanny Chambers, a hummingbird expert whose excellent website, Hummingbirds.net, is packed with photos and information on hummingbirds, hummers fight because:

 Anna flying

…they treat feeders essentially the same as flowers. A good patch of wildflowers in the middle of nowhere will provoke chases and battles, as one bird tries to defend the territory against all intruders. So, the real question is, "why are hummingbirds so territorial?"

The answer for adult males in spring is easy: the birds with the best territories attract the most females, and get the most sex. Hens want strong genes for their chicks, and they know where to find them: the nastiest, meanest, most evil-tempered studs will be successfully holding down the most desirable food resources.

Outside of that scenario, each flower contains a tiny amount of nectar, replenished slowly over time. A hummer doesn't want another bird to get the nectar first, since it will have to wait until the flower produces more, so the resource is jealously guarded. I don't think a hummingbird has any concept of unlimited supply, so they defend feeders for the same reason.

There are some occasions on which hummingbirds will share food. I myself have observed this, most often at the end of the day or during a cold snap. A couple of years ago two young male Costa’s hummingbirds uneasily co-guarded my patio feeder, as I described here. But this behavior is very rare.

Costas2 5-25-2011 5-01-54 PM 2447x1044

Nancy L. Newfield of Louisiana, author and hummingbird expert, believes the hummingbirds’ perception of the rarity of nectar is “the crux of the whole matter.Every drop of nectar is regarded as the last drop of food on Earth.  They defend their food source because their very life depends on food.” 

Adds Sheri L. Williamson, another expert, who is author of the indispensable Peterson’s Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America, “It’s all about that limited resource and walking (well, hovering) a very fine line between survival and starvation.”

8 comments:

  1. The only time I had more than one hummer on the feeder was during the monsoon. There were four at a time then. No fighting, no biting. But I have now watered down my feeder so the bees won't come and the bees don't care but the hummers aren't having any of it. I really much prefer the humming birds to bees, but I can't seem to get rid of them. My brother thinks I must be near a hive.

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  2. Everybody is near a hive. The best solution for maximum hums and fewest bees is 1:5. Maybe yours has a little bit too much water? You can also try putting out a stronger solution in a dish, just for the bees. I have not tried that but it is supposed to draw the bees away.

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  3. Anonymous4:37 AM

    I was told garlic rubbed on the feeder, not in the solution would repel the bees, but not the birds. I don't have a feeder so haven't tried it. What do. You think? S

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    1. I've never heard this, but I doubt it would repel the bees, and it could harm the hums.

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  4. Anonymous5:34 AM

    I don't see how the smell of garlic could harm the birds.....s

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    1. Not the smell--the little pieces or oils if the hum gets pushed into the feeder by another hum. That's why insect repellents or oil are dangerous to put on feeders.

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  5. Our hummers are notorious battlers. Though lately they seem to have . . . gone. The feeder level hasn't dropped in days.

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    1. Maybe the nectar is spoiled. You need to change it once a week at the least. Or maybe they've migrated away, but I'd think you must have at least some in the fall and winter.

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