Over the last few months I have been very conscientious about keeping our hummingbird feeder filled. This is a big (quart-sized) feeder with three stations. Recently, we have recentyl been getting alarming numbers of birds - they are busy feeding most of the day, and fighting to keep other birds away. They are so aggressive that it kind of freaks my wife out to watch them. We have always had a lot of hummingbirds in our yard (last year I counted 6 nests), but I’m concerned that I’m making them dependent on me, and I’m worried that pure sugar-water isn’t providing enough micronutrients. It’s springtime, and there are plenty of flowers blooming, so I don’t know if I should continue feeding them.
So should I cut them off cold-turkey (so to speak)?
No, you’re fine, as long as you can afford the sugar and you enjoy watching them. If you stop feeding them, they’ll probably just find another feeder in another yard.
Hummingbirds needs a bit of protein every now and then, and they get that from snagging small insects that are unfortunate enough to be inhabiting the flowers that they are visiting (or occasionally snatching them out of the air). So they get the balanced diet that they need.
As for the fighting – well, hummingbirds are basically jerks. Evolution has taught them to defend their territories, even if that territory is a reservoir of sugar water 1000 times their body mass.
Among some Native American tribes, hummingbirds are recognized as fierce fighters and defenders of their territory and their symbols were used to by warriors to decorate battle regalia.
In other words, your hummingbirds are doing exactly what hummingbirds are known for.
I have one in my yard that is particularly bold. He will often fly right up to about a foot away from my face and look at me.
I’m not aware of any research about hummingbirds in particular, but some data exists on how much of a chickadee’s diet was derived from anthropogenic (backyard feeder) sources. It plateaus at around 20%. (Abstract here.)
Think it’s possible that it’s not the same hummers at your feeder all day? That they just feel defensive when they’re nearby?
We have about a dozen or so that use the feeders in the back yard. When my wife is watering the plants, many will land in a cedar tree and enjoy the shower my wife gives them. Yesterday one bright green guy landed on the edge of my glass of lemonade and licked the rim. I was sitting less than a foot away and he couldn’t have cared less. I just wish I had a camera with me. I didn’t get to finish my lemonade though, he pooped in it.
My bird guide describes hummingbirds as “pugnacious”. Very true. They fight routinely. I’ve even heard the “thump” of one bird hitting another.
I just saw two females fighting over one of our feeders a few minutes ago, much to the amusement of our cat.
Apparently they tend to be more territorial the higher the sugar content in the feeders. E.g., 30+%. You can try lowering the percentage a bit, but then this allows mold, etc. to grow more easily and you have to clean and refill the feeders more often.