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Re: Hummingbird behaviour



>Hi Randy,
>The photos of the multiple birds at feeders are usually pics taken in the
>western part of the U.S.  Several of the western species are much 
>more tolerant
>of neighboring individuals than our beloved ruby-throats.  Some of 
>these western
>feeding stations use reservoirs that hold gallons of water and 
>provide dozens of
>perches!  Our ruby-throats are a little higher on the scale of aggressiveness.
>You may, however, find that the local hummers will become more 
>tolerant later in
>the year after the nesting is over.  I will occasionally see all four perches
>occupied on my feeders.  Many of the birds being seen now are hatch year birds
>that closely resemble adult females in plumage, which may help 
>explain why there
>are more dominant "females" out there this time of year.  There are 
>simply more
>female plumaged birds out there than there are adult males.

Steven Schultz is correct is stating that that many of the 
"multi-bird" photos are taken out West where there are more species 
and apparent greater tolerance. However, I think the tolerance may be 
based in part out of necessity because of  the "indefensible food 
source" concept.

In southeastern Arizona, many hummingbirds concentrate in the "sky 
islands"--the very scarce green valleys that have streams running 
through them (e.g., Ramsey Canyon or Madera Canyon). I've seen 
feeders in these locations surrounded by dozens--maybe hundreds--of 
hummingbirds, especially early in fall migration. It would be 
virtually impossible for any individual bird to dominate a feeder in 
these situations, so the smart thing to do would be give up, take 
your turn at the feeder, and chug down as much sugar water as you can 
before getting bumped off by the next thirsty hummer.

There are places here in the East where the same sort of thing 
happens. One such place is the North Carolina mountains, where there 
are fewer people and therefore fewer hummingbird feeders. Thus, when 
a  mountain-dwelling human puts out a feeder, it begins to attract 
birds from a wide area, and they sometimes come in such numbers that 
the feeder again becomes "indefensible." (Although I haven't been to 
see it, I understand Grandfather Mountain's visitor center has 
feeders that often have every perch taken by a bird.)

Down here in the Piedmont, the hummingbird population is spread out a 
bit more, and it's almost as if every suburban lot with a feeder has 
its own small complement of hummers. An adult male Ruby-throat can 
defend about a quarter-acre of property, and if there are only a 
dozen or so birds in the neighborhood, he can probably hold his own 
during the breeding season. It gets a lot harder along about August, 
however, because the local hummingbird population is at least doubled 
by new fledglings, and the backyard feeder may become indefensible.

Whatcha think?


BILL
-- 
P.S. I'll be banding hummingbirds during public presentations the 
first three weekends in August at Allison Woods (Statesville), 
Stacy's Greenhouses (York), and RibbonWalk (Charlotte). Details are 
on the websites (addresses below).

**********

BILL HILTON JR., "The Piedmont Naturalist"
Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
1432 DeVinney Road
York, South Carolina 29745
USA

e-mail: <hilton@hiltonpond.org>

Voice: (803) 684-5852

eFax: (503) 218-0845

Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is a 501(c)(3) 
non-profit research and education organization, so all in-kind or 
monetary gifts to Operation RubyThroat and the Center are 
tax-deductible. Please visit our websites:

Hilton Pond:  <http://www.hiltonpond.org>

Operation RubyThroat:  <http://www.rubythroat.org>


"Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to 
watch the sunset."

						BHjr.

**********