# Don't aggrivate a hummingbird! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234 "2011-08-10T18:52:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/1 "2011-08-10T18:52:42Z")
Arizona has more types of hummingbirds than any other state, I am told. Anyway, they abound around where we live, as there is some cactus, shrub or other plant that blooms every month. When my wife is out watering the desert (she has a huge garden), hummingbirds will often come and fly right trough the stream of water. Of course, everybody is thirsty in the desert. Anyhow, yesterday morning it was nice and cool (under 100 F), so she sat outside in a chair admiring the scenery. All of a sudden, a hummingbird came right up to her leg, and hovered there for quite a while. She then realized that she was wearing slacks that had a floral pattern, and the bird was pointing to one of the red flowers (they really like red). Then, it flew right up to a few inches from her face, hovering there, looking at her,and probably asking, “WTF?” She is still giggling about that. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/2 "2011-08-11T00:19:10Z")
Back in the early 90s we were living in San Diego, and the zoo had a hummingbird aviary you could walk through. Hundreds of hb’s from all over the world, some with 8-9" beaks. You had to be quiet inside. I had several fly up and hover inches from my floral shirt while we were in there. From what I’ve read, pound for pound they are the most aggressive birds on the Planet. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/3 "2011-08-11T00:35:01Z")
Years ago I was at a party and after several beers went out on the porch to nap. There was a loud buzzing noise and I opened my eyes to see a humming bird hovering back and forth in front of my face. It was a little disconcerting to have a bird that close to my eyes, but kinda cool too. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/4 "2011-08-11T00:42:42Z")
My husband was confronted by a hummingbird while on his postal route, with the bird right up in his face. He almost thought it was a big moth at first, until he did a double-take. It was the first time he’d noticed a hummingbird “in person.” I told him he shouldn’t be surprised about the bird’s behavior - the Aztecs considered hummingbirds the avatar of [their god of war](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huitzilopochtli). ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/5 "2011-08-11T01:05:01Z")
I completely forgot - I had a hummingbird “buzz” my bright pink floral bikini when it was hanging out on the line. It kept zipping between the two halves of the suit, apparently wondering why it wasn’t a flower when it sure looked like one. Different animal entirely: My husband had an iguana in St. Thomas tentatively taste his red-gemmed class ring by licking the gem when we were on vacation there. We’d fed it some red hibiscus blossoms and apparently it was checking to see if he’d been holding out on handing over all the blossoms. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/6 "2011-08-11T01:50:50Z")
I believe at least part of Star Wars’ light saber sounds are humming bird hums. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/7 "2011-08-11T03:04:31Z")
I got buzzed I don’t know how many times by hummingbirds at my parent’s house. There was one bold little bird that would land on your hand and just SCOLD you. 'Twas funny. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/8 "2011-08-11T14:44:13Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > Back in the early 90s we were living in San Diego, and the zoo had a hummingbird aviary you could walk through. Hundreds of hb’s from all over the world, some with 8-9" beaks. You had to be quiet inside. I had several fly up and hover inches from my floral shirt while we were in there. From what I’ve read, pound for pound they are the most aggressive birds on the Planet. Surely you mean “milligram per milligram.” ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/9 "2011-08-11T15:11:55Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > From what I’ve read, pound for pound they are the most aggressive birds on the Planet. That’s interesting, but I have to take exception. From what I’ve read, and seen, the Roadrunner is by far the most aggressive. I have seen one pick up a rattlesnake and repeatedly slam it on the ground until it died. It then ate it whole (Beep! Beep!) I read somewhere that if roadrunners were as big as wolves, they would have wiped out the human race long ago. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/10 "2011-08-11T15:57:40Z")
I’ve posted it somewhere here before; I was attacked by a hummer that didn’t like my flash photography. He was quite indignant and stabbed me twice in the temple in about 1/34 of a second and zoomed away. Drew blood, the little bastard. Apologies, Collibri. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/11 "2011-08-11T16:11:14Z")
> [@KlondikeGeoff](#): > > Anyhow, yesterday morning it was nice and cool (under 100 F), so she sat outside in a chair admiring the scenery. All of a sudden, a hummingbird came right up to her leg, and hovered there for quite a while. She then realized that she was wearing slacks that had a floral pattern, and the bird was pointing to one of the red flowers (they really like red). That’s hysterical. 😃 Our major source of entertainment in summer is watching the hummers. My husband swears he can tell them apart, but all I can identify is male and female. They’re a bit shy when they first arrive, but after a week or so, they’re part of the family. In miles per hour, how fast do they fly? And they’re so feisty. If they were people, would they be jerks? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/12 "2011-08-11T16:33:49Z")
> [@singular1](#): > > Back in the early 90s we were living in San Diego, and the zoo had a hummingbird aviary you could walk through. **Hundreds of hb’s from all over the world** , some with 8-9" beaks. You had to be quiet inside. I had several fly up and hover inches from my floral shirt while we were in there. From what I’ve read, pound for pound they are the most aggressive birds on the Planet. Just in the interest of clarification, hummingbirds are New World birds. They don’t occur anywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/13 "2011-08-11T16:47:05Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Just in the interest of clarification, hummingbirds are New World birds. They don’t occur anywhere else. I should say that there are similar birds in Eurasia/Africa and in Australia, but they are products of convergent evolution (they have similar feeding adaptations, etc., but are not closely related to true hummingbirds.) Some of those, like Australian honeyeaters and sunbirds, might have been included in the exhibit. ---
**Author:** ![limegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@limegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limegreen)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/14 "2011-08-11T17:05:27Z")
Maybe road runners are aggressive to other animals, but hummers go after people. We have a male we call Rambo that has claimed our humungous honeysuckle vine and will dogfight any other male away from his turf. He will come to me and investigate me closely if I’m working around in the yard near his spot. My mom has some that will perch on her. Absolutely fearless, those suckers are. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/15 "2011-08-11T20:19:37Z")
> [@KlondikeGeoff](#): > > …When my wife is out watering the desert (she has a huge garden), hummingbirds will often come and fly right trough the stream of water. Of course, everybody is thirsty in the desert… They’re not drinking. They’re taking a shower. I’ve watched one splash around in the tiny bit of water trapped in a cupped leaf - world’s tiniest birdbath. 🙂 And yes, you haven’t truly lived until you’ve been roundly scolded by a hummingbird. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/16 "2011-08-11T21:11:52Z")
> [@limegreen](#): > > Maybe road runners are aggressive to other animals, Yes, especially toward Wile E Coyote. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/17 "2011-08-11T23:22:22Z")
Arizona hummingbird enthusiast here. Love the little birds! This morning, one was trying to poke his beak into the eye of my plastic flamingo. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/18 "2011-08-11T23:31:34Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > I believe at least part of Star Wars’ light saber sounds are humming bird hums. Nope, not according to the [guy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0WJ-8B6aUM) who invented the lightsaber sound. Quite fascinating how he did it. Regarding hummingbirds, I love photographing them, but it’s quite challenging because a lot of times you end up with nothing to show in the photo! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/19 "2011-08-12T02:27:58Z")
We have a hummingbird nest in the hanging lamp outside our front door. It gets re-used every year. I have photos of the little hummers growing up and then flying away here: [One](http://www.flickr.com/photos/11822576@N08/6033689959/sizes/l/in/photostream/) [Two](http://www.flickr.com/photos/11822576@N08/6033689987/sizes/l/in/photostream/) [Three](http://www.flickr.com/photos/11822576@N08/6033689995/sizes/l/in/photostream/) ---
**Author:** ![Pixiesnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Pixiesnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixiesnix)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234/20 "2011-08-12T04:20:38Z")
I kinda imagined this thread would have more stories about tiny, tiny puncture wounds. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-aggrivate-a-hummingbird/592234.md?page=2)