Are certain hummingbirds more dominant? Which are male and female?

Question

I have a hummingbird with a red neck and green body. While it eats 3 to 4 more hummingbirds will swoop down at it squeaking. They almost attack eachother to get to the feeder. Two of the other ones are a darkcolor with spots on them. I have two feeders and they do it at both of them. They like one in particular though. The green and red one will sit on top off my lillies under the feeder and watch for the other ones and then sworm at it. Is this normal? How can I get it to stop?

Answer 1

Hummingbirds are Territorial about their feeders. Some will chase the others away. I get all my information from the web site below. It also has a migration map that you can look at to see when the birds are getting close to your area so you can put your feeders out.

Answer 2

Aahhhh. Just the question I actually feel an "expert" to answer. At least some of it anyway. I started out with one or two hummingbird feeders, and now I have 6. Hummingbirds are very territorial, as I learned from experience. My experience suggests that it's the male hummingbird that is most territorial and most aggressive in that issue. And it's important to note that the young male hummingbirds look just like the female adult. It's not till they get older or go through "puberty" that the male gets his colors. I have one feeder hanging outside my home office window that I can look at as I'm on the computer, and I can watch them fight over that particular feeder more than the others. Last year there was one hummingbird that literally controlled this feeder, so, to remedy that, my wife and I decided that if we hung another feeder, this controlling hummingbird would have too much work to do to control both of them, especially if we put it at some distance from the first one so he/she would have to give up one feeder to control the other. And it worked. We put the second feeder about 20-25 feet from the first one, thereby making it too difficult to control both. Then we decided to really attract the hummingbirds, so we started hanging one, then another, on and near our front porch, which, conveniently is around the corner from the first two feeders. That way they could follow the direction of where the feeders were being hung but they would be far enough and around natural "blinds" such as the corner of the house so that they couldn't be dominated by any one hummingbird. The ones around on the front porch aren't more than 3 or 4 feet from each other, but having a total of 4 feeders on that side of the house, and having attracted so many hummingbirds, there ain't no way any one or one small group of hummingbirds can control any one of the feeders. There are a lot of territorial hummingbirds out there to contest for the food, so no one can control any portion of them, and now, the original one outside my home office window is a favorite of A LOTTTT of hummingbirds since the babies have been hatched, and you cannot imagine how impossible it is for any one hummingbird to stay off so many hungry kids who haven't learned their "table manners" yet. So the solution to your problem is not to shoe away or otherwise alter nature's plan. The solution is to get more feeders, space them properly, and feed away. You'll get so many it will marvel you. I hope you do enjoy them. I bet we have at least 30 of them, and maybe a few more, and they're not shy about comin' round when you have to refill the feeder and are a bit slower than they like. They never attack you, but they'll sure buzz by you and humm around you while you try to put the feeder back up. Maybe next year mine will actually land on the feeder as I try to put it back up, but then maybe that's just wishful thinking. I don't know how long they live or whether they return to previous feeding sites. But it sure is fun!! God Bless you.

Answer 3

From Rubythroat.org :

Adult male RTHUs (Ruby-Throated Hummingbird) arrive on their breeding grounds in spring and quickly establish non-overlapping feeding territories from which they drive away intruders, especially rival males. If a bluffing charge attack does not dispel a trespasser, the resident male may engage him in a brief but intense physical battle. These seldom cause physical damage other than the loss of a few feathers.

An adult male also will repeatedly drive away any female until she mates with him, after which she typically gets "free passage" into his territory. This is a great benefit to her; when she is sitting on eggs or chicks, it is important that she not be off them too long searching for food, or her offspring may die.

A male RTHU is effectively able to defend a territory of approximately a quarter-acre or so (1,000 square meters or 0.1 hectares). If the territory contains prime resources such as patches of nectar plants and/or a well-maintained artificial feeder, the bird will not have to leave his area on foraging trips."

BTW, you do not say where you are located. If you are in the central to eastern part of the US, then it is, as the others say, probably a Ruby-Throat. But if you are in the western US, it may be a Broad-Tailed Hummingbird. Check the second link below for photos and distribution on that. Also, check the home page of this website for lots more interesting info and links about hummers (the good kind)!!

Answer 4

There is a reason why the food is called hummingbird "nectar". Birds are ferocious predators and fight for survival. don't be worried it's just instinct. We would all be knocking each other off if the police weren't around.

it happens at my feeder as well. The bright green and red is the male, as is customary in the bird species to attract the female.

good luck

Answer 5

Brighter colored ones are male, plainer ones FM.
You can identify them by googeling hummingbird and youre area usually .
Its normal, but I prefer to plant flowers that attract hummingbirds, usually less "fighting" and cleaner.
Also feeders create an increase in the population of Hbirds that create dependancy on YOUR feeders. (I fyou hang them especially like the one oerson above me) and let bacteria grow by not thouroughly cleaning each time, or forget to refill them, they will die.
When I found that out, is when I started with flowers instead.
They like lavender, blooming sage, salvia( the red one) and many others.

Answer 6

The ones you are seeing with the "Red necks" are male Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. They are smaller and usually more dominate than the females that have more gray and are a little longer. They are facinating creatures to watch aren't they?!

Answer 7

The males tend to be dominant and will often chase all other from the feeder

Answer 8

the male is the prettist yes it is normal for them chase each other they are greedy and it does not matter how many feeders you juice with juice in them they will not share

Answer 9

Yes, it's normal, and you can't/shouldn't stop it. The male is the one with the red throat.

Answer 10

I've observed the same thing. It's just nature.