Hummingbirds are territorial creatures who are known to fight over food sources. This is especially true in backyard feeders, where hummingbirds will aggressively defend “their” feeder from other hummers trying to feed. There are a few key reasons why hummingbirds squabble over feeders:
Competition for Food
Hummingbirds have very high metabolisms and must consume a lot of energy in the form of nectar each day just to survive. A single hummer may visit 1,000 flowers per day! So when an easy food source like a backyard feeder is available, it becomes a valuable resource worth fighting over. The birds are simply competing for the limited nectar.
Establishing Dominance
Hummers will fight to establish a “pecking order” at a feeder. An alpha bird will attempt to claim the feeder as its territory and chase away challengers. Lower ranking birds may try to sneak in for feeds when the dominant hummer isn’t around. These skirmishes help reinforce the social hierarchy.
Defending Nesting Territory
In summer months, hummers may be defending a nesting territory rather than just a feeding area. Females in particular will attack birds that encroach too close on her nest. She is protecting her eggs and chicks from threats.
Misdirected Aggression
Sometimes hummers display “displacement behavior,” where they attack another bird even when the real threat is gone. For example, a dominant bird may have just chased off an intruder but still has excess aggressive energy. The next hummer to approach may bear the brunt of this misdirected aggression.
Typical Hummingbird Behavior at Feeders
The most common species found at backyard feeders in North America are:
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Rufous Hummingbird
- Anna’s Hummingbird
- Costa’s Hummingbird
- Allen’s Hummingbird
Here are some typical aggressive behaviors exhibited by hummingbirds defending a feeder:
Hovering and Diving
A dominant male will aggressively hover in front of other birds trying to approach the feeder. He may also make diving charges past the head of an intruder to drive it away.
Chasing
Chase flights are common, where one angry hummer will rapidly pursue an intruder up to 100 feet away from the feeder. Loud chirping often accompanies these chase scenes.
Aerial Battles
Two males will ascend rapidly while shrieking and grappling with each other in mid-air. They make loops and dives while clawing with their feet and pecking with their beaks.
Perching Nearby
Guard hummers will often perch on a nearby branch or wire while watching the feeder closely for encroachers. They remain poised to swoop in and defend their claim.
Display Flights
Dominant males perform dramatic display dives over the feeder, whistling with their tail feathers splayed. This serves to intimidate rivals and impress females.
Tips to Reduce Hummingbird Aggression at Feeders
Here are some tips to minimize fighting and allow multiple hummers to peacefully share a feeder:
Use Multiple Feeders
Put out several feeders spaced widely apart. This allows separate territories to be established around each one.
Use Feeder Designs that Allow Multiple Feeding Ports
Saucer-style feeders or feeders with multiple feeding ports reduce monopolization.
Provide Adequate Nectar
Make sure your feeder has plenty of fresh nectar so birds don’t have to fiercely compete for every last drop.
Separate Male and Female Feeders
Try placing a feeder in an open area for aggressive males, and one near trees/bushes for females.
Remove Perches Near Feeders
Eliminate perching spots from which birds can guard the feeder.
Use Feeders with Perches
Some feeders have little perches so hummers have to land and take turns.
Suspend Feeders from a Wire
Hanging feeders from a wire prevents dominance by a single bird. The feeder sways letting others drink.
Position Feeders Near Windows
Hummers are less likely to battle at window feeders where they can see their reflection.
Wait Them Out
Aggression tends to ease once a hierarchy is established, so patience helps.
How Hummingbird Species Interact at Feeders
When multiple hummingbird species share a feeder, interesting interactions occur:
Ruby-Throated vs Rufous Hummingbirds
Ruby-throated | Rufous |
---|---|
Native to Eastern U.S. | Native to Western North America |
Smaller in size | Larger and stockier |
Less aggressive | Very aggressive |
The larger and more aggressive Rufous often dominates the Ruby-throated.
Anna’s vs Costa’s Hummingbirds
Anna’s | Costa’s |
---|---|
Larger and stockier | Smaller and slimmer |
Iridescent rose-pink throat | Iridescent purple throat |
Equally aggressive | Equally aggressive |
These similarly matched Pacific Coast species have intense aerial battles.
Allen’s vs Rufous Hummingbirds
Allen’s | Rufous |
---|---|
Smaller | Larger |
Less aggressive | Very aggressive |
Green back | Rusty brown back |
The bold Rufous dominates the meeker Allen’s. But Allen’s will sneak feeds when the Rufous leaves.
Unusual Examples of Hummingbird Conflict
While hummingbird skirmishes at backyard feeders are commonplace, occasionally more extreme conflicts arise:
Fatal Battles
There are rare documented cases of hummingbirds killing each other during territorial disputes. Injuries sustained during battles can also lead to delayed death.
Ganging Up
Smaller hummingbird species have been observed “mobbing” a larger bully hummingbird to drive it away from a feeder. A group is more likely to overpower a single dominant bird.
Nest Destruction
Female hummers have been reported destroying the eggs or nests of rival birds nesting close by. This eliminates competition and a future threat to resources.
Inter-Species Adoption
In very rare instances, a female hummingbird has been seen adopting an abandoned nestling of another species. This is unusual cross-species altruistic behavior.
Attacking Other Birds
Hummers will sometimes attack much larger non-hummingbird species that venture too close to their territory. Diving at crows, jays, and hawks occurs.
Aerial Mating
If an unwelcome male approaches a mating pair in flight, the female’s mate will break off copulation to attack the intruder. Mid-air fights ensure.
Nectar Theft
Sneaky faster hummingbirds have been documented distracting slower birds from a feeder while quickly stealing nectar. Nectar larceny!
Key Takeaways
– Hummingbirds are highly territorial, especially around food sources like backyard feeders. This leads to aggressive behavior such as fighting, chasing, and diving when defending their claim to the feeder.
– Providing multiple separated feeders, adequate nectar, and certain feeder designs can help reduce hummingbird conflicts.
– Species differences in size, aggression, and personality help shape the social interactions and dominance patterns that develop at multi-species feeders.
– Extreme examples like fatal fights, nest destruction, and nectar theft occasionally occur, revealing the intensity of hummingbird territorial behavior. Though small, hummers are fiercely competitive birds!
Conclusion
The question “why are the hummingbirds fighting over the feeder” has some clear answers. These hyper-territorial birds are wired to defend nectar sources critical to their survival. A feeder represents an oasis of food that multiple hummers may try to claim as their own. Understanding this helps us appreciate the remarkable nature of hummingbirds and take steps to reduce needless squabbles over feeders in our own yards. With some thoughtful feeder tactics, we can create plenty of worry-free hummingbird watching!