 |
| This is their second favorite feeder, right outside my back door. |
Since I have so many more this year that in previous years, I've come to the conclusion that these tiny, beautiful creatures are mean birds. Not angry birds like the video game. My friend Susan calls them meanies. I'm sure some of my hummer enthusiasts (Lisa C. and David H.) will be mad at me for calling them mean. Oh well.
In my back yard, they have a particular feeder that they all like. It has the same nectar as the others. I've studied it and can't figure out why it is so special.
 |
| This is the special feeder. This cheap, faded thing. |
According to worldofhummingbirds.com:
"Male hummingbirds are very aggressive. They set up their territory and will chase off any male that comes near. This helps the male hummingbirds eliminate the competition for the female hummingbirds in the area. This aggression also helps the female hummingbirds. Female hummingbirds do not let male hummingbirds near a nest because the male hummingbird's bright colors might alert predators in the area to the nests location. If there is only one male hummingbird in the area, the female will only have to worry about chasing away one male hummingbird and be able to better concentrate on her beaks and claws as weapons. They will chirp warnings as they head toward each other. Hummingbirds have been known to body slam each other in mid air and even lock their bills together while spinning in a circle until they hit the ground."
According to this site, if the males are not fighting each other they may be showing off for the girls by doing a "courtship dive."
Not only are they aggressive to other males, but they have even been mean to my Silky Terriorist since they hover right over their pen. Silkys love to yap more than breathe. But they don't yap at the birds. I think they have been dive bombed a little too closely, like having a bee in your ear.
 |
| The Silkys in their pen. Notice they are being good and not yapping. |
For all their macho male bird antics, I have enjoyed them immensely will miss them when they start their great migration.
