Hummingbirds are known for their speedy flight and ability to hover in midair as they feed on flower nectar. But these tiny birds are also very territorial. You may have seen hummingbirds aggressively chasing each other around feeders or flowering plants. There are a few key reasons why hummingbirds exhibit this behavior.
Protecting Feeder Access
One of the main reasons hummingbirds chase each other is to protect access to nectar sources. In the wild, hummingbirds feed on the nectar from flowers. They have evolved to aggressively defend patches of flowers so they can gain enough nourishment from the limited nectar supply. This territorial behavior translates to feeders as well. Hummingbirds don’t want competition when feeding, so they will try to scare other birds away from “their” feeder.
Establishing Dominance
Chasing is one way hummingbirds establish dominance and a pecking order. Hummingbirds are solitary creatures and only come together in breeding situations. The male hummingbirds are especially competitive and chase each other to show who is “top bird”. They will fight to assert their dominance and gain priority access to nectar sources.
Defending Nesting Areas
During breeding season, male hummingbirds will aggressively defend their nesting territories. They establish an area around a potential nest site and will chase away any encroaching birds. This helps ensure their mating access to the female hummingbird. Females may also chase other birds that get too close to their nests once eggs are laid. Protecting the nest space helps increase chances of raising chicks.
Protecting Food for Chicks
Female hummingbirds that are feeding chicks will become extra aggressive about chasing other birds away from food sources. Hungry baby birds in the nest require a lot of nourishment. So mother hummingbirds try to maximize the food they can bring back by limiting competition near prime feeding areas.
Difficult Personalities
Some individual hummingbirds are simply more aggressive by nature. Ornithologists have noted certain hummingbirds display more dominant and territorial behaviors. These feisty personalities will readily chase other birds without provocation. Their heightened aggression leads to increased chasing incidents.
Mistaken Identity
Sometimes hummingbirds chase each other by mistake. Rapid flight and an abundance of birds means they can’t always distinguish individual birds. So a hummingbird may dive bomb another thinking it is an intruder when it’s actually a familiar bird. These cases of mistaken identity lead to brief chasing incidents.
Factors That Increase Chasing
Certain environmental factors can cause increased chasing behavior:
- High population density – More birds in one area increases competition for resources
- Limited food availability – Scarce nectar sources increase territorial behavior
- Nesting season – Breeding birds become extra protective
- Approach of migration – Stocking up on food reserves
- Introduction of feeders – Creates a concentrated food source
Typical Chasing Patterns
There are some common chasing scenarios that play out among hummingbirds:
- Interloper bird is chased from a feeder by dominant resident bird
- Intruder bird chased from a flowering patch by bird defending territory
- Juvenile bird chased away from area by adult bird
- Male birds chase each other mid-air during competitive displays
- Female bird aggressively chases birds approaching nest
How Hummingbirds Chase
When hummingbirds chase, they exhibit these aggressive behaviors:
- Diving and weaving quickly at other birds
- Making loud chirping sounds
- Showing their colorful throat feathers (males)
- Pecking at other birds with their beaks
- Continuously darting at target birds till they leave
The fast flying antics are quite dramatic to observe in nature. Chases often happen in quick bursts, covering large distances. The incredible maneuverability of hummingbirds allows them to chase at all angles.
How Long Chases Last
Most chasing incidents between hummingbirds only last a few seconds. These are brief dogfights meant to scare away intruders. However, chases can persist for 30 seconds or longer in more intense competition. The birds retrace the same chase routes repeatedly until one bird concedes. Dominant birds tend to persevere in the pursuits.
Who Does the Chasing
Male hummingbirds do the majority of chasing:
- Adult males are the most aggressive
- Juvenile males start chasing as they mature
- Females defend nests but less chasing overall
The males chase all birds from feeding areas they want to control. Females largely chase other females. Chasing prowess shows fitness to females.
When Chasing Occurs
Chasing most often happens:
- Around feeders
- Near flowering plants
- Around nesting sites
- At first light in morning
- At dusk when birds congregate
These areas and times are especially important for food intake and mating opportunities.
Dangers of Chasing
The intense chasing holds some risks for hummingbirds:
- Mid-air collisions
- Fatal exhaustion if chasing persists
- Injury from poking beaks
- Drawing predators to disputes
However, the territorial behavior remains vital to individual survival chances despite the hazards involved.
Tactics to Reduce Chasing
While chasing is an innate hummingbird behavior, there are some tactics you can use to potentially minimize it around your feeders or in your garden:
- Provide multiple feeders spaced generously apart – This allows more access for more birds
- Use feeder styles with multiple ports – Limits squabbling over singular feeder spots
- Provide ample sugar-water – Reduces resource competition
- Plant plenty of nectar flowers in a variety of locations – Better mimics wild conditions
- Use cage-style feeders – Allows seeing birds while protecting them from chases
- Adjust feeder height frequently – Stops dominant birds from staking claims
- Clean feeders regularly – Deters territorial birds from claiming particular feeders
- Use feeders with perches – Gives subordinate birds a place to stop and wait
While you can’t eliminate chasing, these tips help create a more harmonious bird feeding environment. Some chasing will still inevitably occur.
When to Worry About Chasing
In most cases, hummingbird chasing does not require intervention. It is a natural behavior for maintaining access to food resources. However, you may want to attempt to intervene if:
- A single dominant bird is preventing all other access to feeders
- Chases are happening repeatedly and aggressively
- Injuries result from poking beaks
- A juvenile bird is under frequent attack
- Chases are disrupting nests with eggs/chicks
See if adjusting feeder setup helps in these cases. As a last resort, you can temporarily isolate or capture ultra aggressive birds for release away from feeders.
Chasing in Hummingbird Society
The chasing dynamics among groups of hummingbirds are complex social structures. Here are some key observations:
- Male adult birds are dominant
- Juveniles and females are subordinate
- Most males defend 1-2 preferred feeders
- Fierce keep-away chasing occurs along territory borders
- Some chasing is brief displays ofdominance
- Chases impact feeding opportunities and social status
- Disputes arise and get settled throughout the day
- Stand-offs occur until one bird retreats
The chasing enforces an evolving hierarchy and distribution of resources within hummingbird populations at a location.
Signs a Bird is Dominant
You can identify the dominant hummingbirds in your area by these traits:
- Controls prime feeding spots
- Chases away most other birds it sees
- Frequently chirps and displays
- Perches for prolonged periods
- Feeds for longer durations
- Has priority access to females for mating
- Returns frequently if scared off
Dominant birds enjoy greater energy intake and mating success. But maintaining dominance requires a lot of chasing effort.
Behaviors of Subordinate Birds
Non-dominant hummingbirds display these traits:
- Get chased from feeders frequently
- Waits on sidelines for opening
- Darts in to feed then quickly leaves
- Rarely vocalizes
- Flies with tail feathers closed
- Feeds very briefly
- Young birds get chased most
Subordinate birds spend a lot more time watching for quick feeding opportunities while trying to avoid conflict.
Impact of Chasing on Feeding
The chasing has significant impacts on hummingbird feeding patterns:
- Dominant birds get priority and longer access
- Subordinate birds have fewer feeding opportunities
- Aggressive chasing reduces feeding for all birds
- Juveniles and females lose out the most
- Birds may starve if continually denied feeder access
- Disputes flare up during busy feeding times
The clashing reduces overall feeding efficiency. Hummingbirds must compensate with faster metabolisms.
Chasing Consumes Energy
Chasing itself burns substantial calories:
- Rapid acceleration and maneuvering requires energy
- Heartrates can hit 1200 beats/minute during chases
- Lots of energy spent vocalizing warnings
- Fighting other birds uses more calories
- Time spent chasing means less time feeding
Dominant birds paradoxically may gain less net energy as they spend more time chased off intruders. Excessive chasing can be counterproductive.
Does Chasing Cause Injuries?
Most chasing does not result in actual injuries. Only glancing physical contact occurs through:
- Mid-air collisions
- Beak jousting
- Clipping wings/tail feathers
Serious injuries are rare since the pursuits happen at high speeds. The speed necessitates avoiding bodily contact. But poke injuries can occur when birds perch together briefly.
Do Hummingbirds Get Exhausted from Chasing?
Hummingbirds have incredible stamina from a high metabolism and aerobic capacity. They are built for sustained hovering and fast flights. However, excessive chasing can lead to exhaustion:
- Burns more energy reserves
- Requires faster metabolism
- Overheats their systems
- Reduces feeding recuperation
- Causes stress hormones
If a chase-rest cycle gets disrupted, hummingbirds can overexert themselves. Dominant birds chasing all day are especially prone to exhaustion.
Do Chases Draw Predators?
The vocalizations and activity during chases could potentially attract predators:
- Loud chirping gets predators’ attention
- Provides cues to location
- Distracted birds are more vulnerable
- Disputes near nests especially dangerous
However, most chasing occurs briefly and sporadically enough not to reliably draw predators in. The bigger risk is chasing distraction versus signaling predators.
Conclusion
In summary, hummingbirds chase each other to gain prime access to food resources and mating opportunities. The chasing establishes dominance hierarchies that determine feeding priority and mating privileges. Although chasing consumes energy, dominant birds tend to maximize energy intake and reproduction success. This explains why they are willing to spend so much effort on aggressive chasing behaviors throughout the day. While chasing may seem adversarial, it is simply social displays crucial to survival in the hummingbird world.
