They’re at it again. Every year, one hummingbird assumes squatter’s rights on any and all our backyard hummingbird feeders. He visits them frequently, but he absolutely stands guard 24/7 lest an intruder sneak in for a sip of sugar water. And one always does.
I guess they draw straws to see whose feeder is whose. But they battle every day, throughout the day. So why this violence?
They fight for a very good reason—they can’t afford to share flowers during times when not many blossoms are available because they have to wander a long way after nectar is depleted. Our summer flower blossoms are dying, even the butterfly bush is losing blooms. Hummers must eat or die, and this aggression is so deeply ingrained.
Other than having Henry Kissinger negotiate a peace accord, about the only thing a backyard birder can do is install more feeders and space them out. Moving hummingbird feeders further apart helps reduce aggressive behavior. It also gives less aggressive hummingbirds more opportunities to sip from feeders before getting chased away. A dominant bird cannot defend multiple feeders as effectively. Adding more hummingbird feeders can reduce aggression in the feeding area. Also, adding more hummingbird flowers to the landscaping provides more food sources for more birds to enjoy without arguing.
In the meantime, choose your weapons. It’s time for battle.