The Aztec God of War, Huitzilopochtli, is often depicted as a Hummingbird.
It is natural for hummingbirds to fight over the hummingbird feeder.
We love to feed hummingbirds! We love to see the glistening metallic colors of the male hummingbirds flashing in the sun. We enjoy how close they get to us and how fearless and active they are.
However, many people are concerned about their aggressive behaviors toward other hummingbirds.
Why does one hummingbird take over the feeder? Why do they have to fight so much? Do hummingbirds hurt themselves when they fight? Is there anything I can do to stop them from fighting?
These are the questions this article answers.
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Costa's Hummingbird. Greg Gillson. |
Why do hummingbirds fight over feeders?
Hummingbirds fight over feeders to protect the sweet nectar--an important food source.
Hummingbirds have high metabolisms and must consume from 3 to 7 calories per day. Many of these calories come from the sugar in nectar.
Flowers are the hummingbirds' natural nectar food source. But flowers don't last long. Hummingbirds are on a constant lookout for new blooming flower patches. When they find a nectar source, they protect it. Feeder wars are a matter of life and death!
Hummingbirds need 1/4-acre territories with insect food, nectar, and water. Males that have the best territories will mate with the most females. The most belligerent and aggressive male is thus the most desirable, from the female's point of view. He will guard the best territory and will sire strong offspring that have a better chance of surviving to adulthood.
No wonder hummingbirds fight over your hummingbird feeder! Hummingbird feeders are a long-lasting and reliable source of nectar that gives the male a better chance of winning the affections of the females.
I've talked as if it is only the male that fights. But this is not true. All hummingbirds have a pecking order, and all will fight one another at the feeder.
There is a time, though, that hummingbirds don't fight at the feeder. It is at dusk. Often several hummingbirds will feed at the feeder relatively peacefully, as they get the last drink of nectar before total darkness.
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Broad-billed Hummingbird. Greg Gillson. |
How do you stop hummingbirds from fighting over feeders?
The one way to stop hummingbirds from fighting over your hummingbird feeder is to hang several hummingbird feeders. The more, the better.
While the bully hummingbird is off chasing one hummingbird, others can sneak in for a drink. Of course, when the most dominant hummingbird is away, the second-most dominant hummingbird is the new boss. So, fighting continues.
The more hummingbird feeders there are, the less successful fighting. Why? Because if the dominant bird is always chasing others away, he drinks less nectar. A point comes when it is more advantageous to drink and share in peace than it is to fight.
My small 10-ounce feeder will supply the daily calorie needs of about 50 hummingbirds. Or 10 hummingbirds for 5 days before it needs refilled. And that's only if they don't get any nectar from other sources. Thus, it is often better to have several small hummingbird feeders partially filled than fill up one large feeder.
The goal here is to attract more hummingbirds at one time so one bird doesn't drive off all the others. You get rid of the bully hummingbird by giving him too much competition.
Several hummingbird feeders placed rather closely together seems to work best for stopping hummingbirds from fighting. However, if you are unable to attract large numbers of hummingbirds, then having a lone second hummingbird feeder out-of-sight of the first feeder works, too.
How many hummingbird feeders do you need? I've seen 5 or 6 feeders work well, with 3 grouped together and others spaced out around the yard. Of course, this takes a lot of dedication on your part to keep them all filled and cleaned!
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Anna's Hummingbird. Greg Gillson. |
How do hummingbirds fight over feeders?
The dominant male usually sits on an elevated perch where he can keep an eye on the hummingbird feeder.
When another hummingbird appears at the feeder, male or female, the dominant bird comes flying in with a loud angry wing buzz and chattering vocal calls. This is often enough to make submissive birds flee without anyone getting hurt. The dominant bird chases the other bird, often quite far away!
If the interloper stands his ground, though, the fighting becomes more intense. They may hit, bite, stab, or claw. They may even knock each other to the ground! Usually, one bird surrenders and flies off defeated.
Rarely, evenly matched hummingbirds may be physically injured or die in these fights. But this is highly unusual. You don't get the territory and win the female if you're dead.
Of course, even female hummingbirds fight at the feeder. But their fights with each other aren't usually as much of a battle as two males fighting. They usually don't get hurt. Females quickly give way to the males.
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Rufous Hummingbird. Greg Gillson. |
What hummingbird fights the most?
In the United States and Canada, the Rufous Hummingbird is the most belligerent and most protective of the hummingbird feeder. They take on all comers.
In the West, Anna's Hummingbirds are resident hummingbirds. So they are at the feeders all year. And they're fairly large. Nevertheless, when the smaller Rufous Hummingbirds arrive in spring, they quickly drive off the Anna's.
Rufous Hummingbirds are fighters!
Looking for a hummingbird feeder? I have personally been enjoying the easy-to-clean More Birds brand hummingbird feeder. There are several sizes. I like the smaller Ruby model (Amazon affiliate link). Thank you for supporting this website with your purchases!
More articles on hummingbirds:
Do you hang hummingbird feeders in sun or shade?
When do you put up hummingbird feeders? When do you take them down?
Why aren't hummingbirds coming to your feeder?
25 Tips on where to hang your hummingbird feeder
Are hummingbird feeders bad for hummingbirds?
Oh my gosh everything in this article is 100% right. This is exactly what has been going on at hummingbird feeders and yes at the end of the day they all show up ready to eat and not fight as much...I live in the great Pacific Northwest Portland area and have the Rufous of different colors...they are one of the highlights of my life and I love them dearly...
ReplyDeleteThey are certainly entertainment. My feeders are only lasting two days! (Spending the summer near you in Randle Washington)
DeleteI have a rufous that showed up this year and is scaring the ones off that have been coming here for years. I have put out extra feeders but it does not seem to matter. I am very upset that this rufous has shown up
DeleteI live in Stockton CA have 3 faithful hummingbirds that come daily. There is 1 male that is the boss and I love watching them go through their daily routine, theve becomey happiness 😊
DeleteGreg,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the most welcomed mountain of information you post!
I only know about hummingbirds because of you and I'm proud to pass on what I've read thank you for keeping me informed
Francella Martinez
Thanks Francella!
DeleteSpot on article. I have two feeders that I have to refill daily. I average 12-15 at each feeding with several fighting. They do seem to eat more peacefully as darkness nears.
ReplyDeleteWe call our dominant bird "The Czar". He protects his feeder but is over run by visitors. This time of year in Georgia, they consume 1/2 gallon of nectar per "day" from 2 feeders
ReplyDeleteMy hummers drink about 112 ounces of nectar daily from five feeders. I have approximately 12-15 birds, so I don't understand the comment that 10 ounces will satisfy that many birds for a week. They keep me busy, but they are a joy to watch. I especially like their chirping and looking in the window when they need fed. :)
ReplyDeleteThey are marvelous, aren't they? The comment about amount of nectar is in regard to satisfying their daily caloric needs. Like people, birds can eat more than they "need." But they'll be heading south soon and will use those extra calories on their migration.
DeleteThx Greg I love them every year
DeleteThe hummers that come to my yard are 1 of my favorite part of summer☀️I'm in Ma. & we get the beautiful Ruby-throated .The male came in May then a female❤️For the last 4 yrs been feeding them & it seems by the end of summer there maybe 4 coming to my feeders.I don't see more then that; but they surely brighten my day .Every morning sit on porch with my coffee & their ready to start eating @5-6am.Love these lil gems❤️🌹
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. I can really see that they bring you joy!
DeleteThe male that feeds in my yard is a Bully😱I watch him perch on a bush or up in a tree waiting to dive at any other hummer that tries to eat.He swoops down & I can hear his wings.Its amazing how small they are with a Very Big Attitude❤️ They definitely brighten my day🌞
ReplyDeleteI have about 12 hummingbirds feeding from 3 large feeders which last about 5 days I mix nectar 1/2 cup sugar to I cup water that mixture brings in a lot more birds I tried 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup of water they do not like that as well
ReplyDeletePlease do NOT use more sugar than the recommended 1/4 (or 1/3) cup. Doing so can actually hurt the bird's organs and not provide the nutrition they require.
DeleteI must agree with the August 19th response. 1 to 4 is best, 1 to 3 is the sweetest that they should have, 1 to 5 is even acceptable if bees are a problem.
DeleteI live in foothills of Central California...due to the heat I make a mixture of one part sugar to five parts water. It's best for their health as well as hydration during the heat waves. I have 5 acres...they all congregate in a trees area of one acre with 5 feeders. I change out and wash the feeders every two days. The trees are filled with babies and nests. There are sometimes twenty of them flying above my head...both playing and dive bombing...it's really funny.
DeleteLive Washington State, agri beauty area, SE of JBLM. Have Rufous, Anna's, and Calliopes. Feeding 20+ years. Watch from recliner out the window. Unsure if rufous is king. Think perhaps some of the "Anna's disappear" is because so many rufous show up, the dominant male Anna's is chasing, and you see the majority of Rufous as a result. Not saying they are not feisty, but more Rufous to chase is akin to more feeders to defend. Cheers, we all love them
ReplyDeleteThere were 5 immature Rufous at my feeder this morning. They took each other to the ground a few times. They chased off a Costa's and an Anna's. A couple of Black-chinned held their ground, though.
DeleteNow I have 1400 photos to go through. I took lots of photos because immature hummingbirds at this time of year are very difficult to tell apart! I'm still looking for something rare in my new yard in south-central Arizona.
I had 4 Ruby Throated Hummers & 3 feeders. The dominant male actually positioned himself so he could see all three feeders. He tried hard to guard all three somewhat successfully until 3 more Hummers showed up! Now he's guarding only one feeder. I added 2 more feeders & there's a nectar guard at every one.
ReplyDeleteWell, at least they are entertaining!
Delete12 years in Deep South Texas (Rio Grande Valley). I observed the fighting behaviors at my single feeder. So I ended up with six 1-quart feeders In the tiny front yard of my townhouse. During the migration season, the humming birds emptied ALL feeders on a daily basis. Every evening, after dark, I gathered the feeders, washed & refilled them. I used about 30 lbs of sugar during the peak of the fall migration (August-September).
ReplyDelete