A common question that I get from the eastern region of the US in midsummer is, “Where have my hummingbirds gone?” or “I only have one, did they all die in that recent storm?”
My first question is, “How old is your nectar?
Hummingbird nectar goes bad after two days if it’s in direct sun and five days if it’s in the shade. If they assure me that their nectar is fresh and they are cleaning the feeder out on a regular basis, then it’s usually a territory dispute.
This question usually comes from people living in urban areas and in reference to Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (that’s a male in the above photo). For people who aren’t as involved with their bird watching like I am, huummingbirds seem so cute, it’s easy to imagine them raising cute tiny families in little cabins complete with tiny straws and cups, tiny hats and tiny, little table and chairs and the family all humming along in perfect harmony.
Alas, mating is a down and dirty affair and the female ruby-throat drives off males faster than the crazy girl at a party weeping into her cranberry vodka lamenting how her five cats have given her more satisfying companionship than any male who has dared ever ask her on a date.
Once the female has mated, she will build the nest and raise the chicks on her own. If her territory happens to include a hummingbird feeder, she will stake it out and drive out any other hummingbird that dares to feed from it–male or female. Above is a female chasing a male off of “her feeder.” I used to say they were the Murphy Brown of the bird world, but my husband advises me against using such a dated reference.
Food can be at a premium for hummingbirds, especially in urban areas. Not only do they need nectar rich plants, but hummingbirds eat quite a few tiny insects. Think of all the pesticides that get used in cities and not everyone keeps nectar rich plants in their yards. If a female finds a reliable clean feeder with nectar, she’s going to take it over to keep good food sources while she’s raising her chicks on her own.
There she is, queen of the castle. Once the chicks fledge and hummingbird migration kicks in, the rules seem to relax a bit more and you can get several hummers coming to the feeder from August through October though if you are in an urban area, there may still be some squabbling.
And because it will inevitably asked in the comments at some point:
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe:
4 parts water
1 part sugar
NO RED DYE, NECTAR SHOULD BE CLEAR
Hi Sharon.
A couple extra tips for hummingbird health:
1. Always use white granulated sugar.
2. Always boil the sugar-water mixture for a couple of minutes to kill any harmful viruses and fungus.
3. If you have very few hummingbirds, then only put as much sugar-water as they drink in a day and store the rest in the fridge.
4. Always wash the feeder every day with water and a brush to remove mold. Use soap every couple of days and rinse thoroughly to get rid of any soap suds.
I absolutely love photo of the “queen of the castle.” How proudly she grins, how greenly she shines.
We generally have 10-15 birds per day at two separate feeders. This year we have only a few. We change and clean per advisement. Normally there are 3-4 at a time. Is there a reasore that there are so few this year ? Apollo is in Southwest Pa.