HUMMINGBIRD SITE OF CANADA - HOME OF JEWEL OF THE NORTH
  • Home
  • Products
  • Product Reviews
  • Migration / Report a Sighting
  • Humming Blog
  • Garden Blog
  • Flowers
  • Hummingbird Flicks
  • Contact
  • Retailer Info.
  • Archives

Humming Blog

Why Don't I get 2 Birds on One Feeder?

9/7/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
​     Here's a common question that's asked, and there is a simple explanation. First of all I want to exclude regions that have many hummingbirds for this reason - When the population is much bigger, it becomes impossible for one bird to chase away all other hummingbirds. They still remain cranky and continue to squeak out a warning, but when there are multiple birds all doing the same thing, they just try and work their way into a feeding opportunity. 
     For the rest of the population that has far fewer birds, something different occurs. Hummingbirds are seriously possessive of their food. Once they've fed from a feeder, and in their own mind determined it's now theirs, they start to protect that source. If they catch another bird feeding at their food source, they quickly fight to protect it. As the number of birds increase you sometimes get situations where a few birds start believing they each own that feeder, and so they fight and chase each other around the yard. Then you get the situation where certain birds are pushed out of feeders. Each feeder has an owner already, and the rest have to sneak in for feeding opportunities. Occasionally you'll get a sneaker that finds an open feeder while the owner is away or sleeping on the job. That sneaker isn't in aggression mode. It just wants to grab a feed as quickly as it can without getting noticed. Finally, you get a second sneaker that arrives at a feeder with another sneaker already there. Neither wants any trouble, and they are just hoping the other won't be too upset with sharing. Neither one is in aggression mode, because both of them each know they are the trespasser and neither one owns that feeder. Sometimes you get one peaking around at the other just to make sure they're in agreement, but then it's back to feeding. 
     There is a pecking order within the hummingbird world. Some birds just know they are at the top. Ziggy(my dominant male) for example, he doesn't question whether he can take on another bird, he knows it. Over time, and several combats later, the toughest will take over, and the others simply understand that. If sharing means they get in a feed, then they'll accept that. When the young start to discover and practice scare tactics, they will fly up into the face of another, and flare the tail and wings to try and intimidate. Sometimes it's effective and they realize the power they contain, while other times they realize it was a really big mistake while being chased around the garden a dozen times. 
Two non-confrontational Ruby-throat hummingbirds just wanting a drink N.E. of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Mid-August 2018

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    March 2014
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012

    Categories

    All
    Annuals
    Canada
    Flowers
    Gardening
    How To Attract Hummingbirds
    How To Attract Hummingbirds In Canada
    Hummingbird Books
    Hummingbird Ebooks
    Hummingbird Guidebook
    Hummingbird Migration
    Hummingbirds
    Indoor Gardening
    Indoor Planting
    Jewel Of The North
    Michael Wiens
    Migration
    Perennials
    Springtime
    Start Your Seeds

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • Products
  • Product Reviews
  • Migration / Report a Sighting
  • Humming Blog
  • Garden Blog
  • Flowers
  • Hummingbird Flicks
  • Contact
  • Retailer Info.
  • Archives