Only when we slowed the video way down and then blew it up could we see the ferocity of the encounter: The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird hovered above its competitor, then slammed bill-first into the female like a tiny gladiator.
The clash sent the two tumbling into the air. (See the video below.) Once again, the alpha male had done his job in the survival-of-the-fittest world of this smallest, most acrobatic of species.
Much of the daily routines of nature are invisible to us. They take place deep in the woods, fields or wetlands, often at speeds that obscure any real details. Even the most avid birders get mere glimpses of how birds interact.
But the spread of hummingbird feeders all across the hemisphere doesn’t just help support these birds. In exchange for a supply of hummingbird sugar water, we get a close-up look at the way birds establish territories, settle into pecking orders, help and compete with one another and fight to survive.
We’re reposting this updated piece on hummingbird battles — one of our most popular posts ever — after several weeks of hanging around Western Massachusetts. One of our favorite pastimes there is watching the hummingbirds as they prepare for migration and their battles for sustenance increase. No species draws more interest than hummingbirds, so here are links to some of our favorite posts from the past few years. This story looks at the astounding mechanics of hummingbirds, and here’s a posts on the huge variety of hummingbirds in Costa Rica, and another from Ecuador. Finally, this piece answers questions from our readers about hummingbirds.
An Explosion of Feeders
Nobody keeps track of the number of feeders in this country, but there’s no question about the explosion of hummingbird feeders and enthusiasts in much of the U.S.
“There are vastly, vastly greater numbers of feeders today than there were 20 years ago,’’ said Scott Weidensaul, a hummingbird expert and author who has spent his career researching the birds. “If you live anywhere there are hummingbirds, it’s become de rigueur to have a feeder in your back yard.’’
The scenes unfolding around these feeders is a window into the daily routines of hummingbirds.
The constant battles over who gets to sip the nectar results from the natural aggressiveness built into the hummingbird’s makeup. If the males and females don’t seem to work together, that’s because once they’ve produced their young, they pretty much go their separate ways. While the males tend to be more aggressive, Weidensaul says the females hold their own.
“The females give as much as they get,’’ he said. “The hummingbirds tend to mix it up quite a lot. That’s the way hummingbirds roll.’’
Nature’s Gems
What stands out about the hummingbirds — and a big part of what attracts us all to these birds — is their breathtaking beauty. Aptly named for gems like rubies, sapphires and emeralds, hummingbirds literally shimmer and shine in the right light. Parts of their plumage is made up of tiny patches of neon-like substances called melanosomes that turn reflected light iridescent — at the right angle.
The arial shows they perform around the feeders cost us almost nothing, when you consider the main ingredients are four parts water to one part plain white sugar. All we have to do in exchange is keep the feeders clean, which is important for the birds’ health. (Check out the Hummingbird Society’s instructions on caring for hummingbirds, as well as the Audubon Society’s.)
Here are some of our favorite hummingbird photos from Massachusetts and beyond:
Here’s an animation from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology that shows the timing of spring and fall migration and the movements of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds up and down the hemisphere.
“Truly Astounding”
They may be the smallest species, but there’s much about the hummingbird that makes them stand out in the crowd of backyard birds.
“They are amazing,’’ said Weidensaul. “Their little wings will beat 60 to 80 times a second. Their hearts will beat 1,000 times a minute. They’re truly astounding. There an intimacy with hummingbirds that you don’t get with any other wildlife.”
And all you need is a small feeder hanging in your yard to get in on this wonder.
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