Male hummingbirds are extremely territorial and will aggressively defend their feeders, flowers, and nesting sites from other males and females. This helps them secure ample food resources and mating opportunities. Chasing females away from feeders specifically enables males to control the food supply, making the females dependent on them for access to nectar. Understanding the reasons behind this behavior requires looking at hummingbird biology and reproductive strategies.
Why Are Hummingbirds So Territorial?
Hummingbirds need a lot of energy to survive. Their wings beat up to 80 times per second and they can reach heartbeat rates over 1000 bpm during flight. To fuel this metabolism, hummingbirds feed on flower nectar and tiny insects. They consume more than their body weight in nectar each day.
Access to plentiful nectar sources is critical for hummingbird survival and reproduction. This necessity drives aggressive territorial behavior in males. By chasing other birds from feeders and flowers, they ensure maximum access to food for themselves and potential mates.
Some key facts about hummingbird territoriality:
- Males establish breeding territories with dense, clustered flower patches and food resources.
- They perch in open vantage points to monitor their territory and chase intruders.
- Territories may be as large as a quarter acre for species like Anna’s hummingbird.
- Males fiercely attack other males that enter their domain.
- Establishing territories each breeding season is highly energy-intensive.
Vigorous defense of territories allows males to mate with females drawn to their plentiful food supplies. This is a key reproductive strategy of hummingbirds.
Energy Requirements
Hummingbirds have the highest metabolic rate of any vertebrate relative to their size. They must consume their body weight in nectar daily just to survive, especially during cold nights.
This intense energy requirement drives territorial behavior at feeders, where calories are concentrated. Males chase other birds away to get as much nourishment as possible for themselves and visiting females.
Mating Strategy
By controlling prime feeding areas, male hummingbirds can attract females for mating. The abundant food resources demonstrate the male’s fitness and ability to provide for potential offspring.
Females visit multiple territories and select the best male based on food availability as well as flashy plumage and courtship rituals. By chasing females from his feeder initially, a male essentially forces them to “shop around” and choose him over less desirable suitors.
How Do Hummingbirds Chase Others From Feeders?
Male hummingbirds use highly aggressive display behaviors to drive away rivals from feeders:
- Diving – Males will dive-bomb other birds that approach or land on the feeder.
- Chasing – Males will directly chase intruders away from the area in fast, acrobatic flight.
- Display Perching – Males perch prominently to display their vibrant gorget (throat feathers) and defend their territory.
- Calls & Sounds – Males make shrill chipping and whistling sounds to signal their claim and warn others away.
- Fencing – Males will “fence” with their bills and jab opponents that don’t retreat.
These behaviors are most frequent during the peak breeding season when competition is high. Younger males may temporarily occupy a feeder until ousted by more dominant adults.
Females are chased only temporarily when they first approach a feeder. Once it’s clear they are not a competitor, males permit them to drink and feed. Allowing female access ensures mating opportunities.
Diving Displays
One common territorial display is the diving attack. From an elevated perch, a male will spot an intruder below and dive at them, pulling up at the last second without making contact. This flying charge communicates that the trespasser should flee.
Diving is mostly used against other males, but females may be targeted initially until the male confirms they are not a threat. The dives are meant to startle and intimidate, not cause injury.
Aerial Chasing
Prolonged chasing flight is another tactic males use to drive competitors away. The pursuer flies rapidly to keep up with the target, following them some distance from the feeder. This harassing strategy communicates that the intruder should not return.
Males will chase other males out of the territory completely. Females may only be chased a short distance before being permitted to return and feed peacefully. The goal is to show dominance, not deprive females of needed calories.
Why Do Females Allow Themselves to Be Chased?
Female hummingbirds could put up more resistance and challenge males at feeders. But they usually acquiesce and retreat when chased away initially. There are good reasons why avoiding conflict is in the female’s best interest evolutionarily:
- Avoid Injury – Direct confrontation risks bodily harm and impaired flight ability, which could prove fatal.
- Conserve Energy – Fighting with males is energetically costly and risky, wasting precious calories.
- Assess Options – Retreating allows females to safely survey multiple territories and males.
- Secure Protection – By not competing, females gain a resident male’s protection and food access.
- Gain Parental Care – Non-aggressive behavior leads to mating and paternal care for her young.
Essentially, females maximize their reproductive success by avoiding unnecessary battles with males. The temporary chasing by males is a courtship strategy, not true threat.
Risk of Injury
Hummingbird bills are adapted for drinking nectar, not fighting. Poking and fencing with bills could result in eye injuries or damaged bills. This would seriously impair a female’s ability to feed and survive. It’s smarter to avoid dangerous conflicts altogether by retreating when chased.
Energy Conservation
Just the act of being chased burns precious calories for female hummingbirds. This is energy that could be used for egg production and other vital processes. Resisting a dominant male would require even more energy expenditure. Avoiding conflict allows females to conserve their fuel stores.
Assessing Options
When chased from a feeder, females may perch out of sight to observe the male. This allows them to safely assess his courtship skills and food resources before deciding to return and mate. Viewing multiple territories also lets females compare males.
Why Do Males Eventually Allow Females to Return?
Chasing females away initially serves as a demonstration of male dominance and fitness. However, males ultimately want visiting females to come back so they will mate and breed on their territory.
Allowing female hummingbirds feeding access after the initial chasing display serves several purposes for the resident male:
- Shows off plentiful food resources to attract a mate.
- Provides critical energy for the female to produce eggs.
- Ensures the female stays nearby and breeds in his territory.
- Increases chances the female will select him as her mate.
- Boosts his reproductive success by fathering more offspring.
In essence, chasing females is a strategic courtship behavior, not true exclusion from the feeder. It’s a measured way for males to communicate dominance while still allowing essential feeding by potential mates.
Displaying Resources
A male that completely prevented female access to his feeder would fail to advertise that he can provide adequate food. Allowing her to return and drink demonstrates that he can sustain abundant nectar supplies for future offspring.
Providing Energy for Breeding
Egg production and nesting are extremely energy intensive for female hummingbirds. If a male prevented feeding, the female would not have sufficient calories to breed successfully on his territory.
By chasing briefly but then permitting access, he helps ensure she can lay eggs once paired.
Securing Opportunity to Mate
If the female is chased permanently away, the male loses his breeding opportunity with her completely. But by letting her feed after establishing dominance, he entices her to remain in the territory long enough to mate.
Do Females Ever Fight Back?
While less common, female hummingbirds will occasionally stand their ground against male harassment:
- Older females may be more resistant to chasing away from feeders than juveniles.
- During the non-breeding fall/winter period, chasing decreases and conflicts are fewer.
- Female species like Anna’s are known to more aggressively defend feeding areas.
- In rare cases, injured or starving females will vigorously fight males.
- Females will fight other females over food and nest sites.
However, direct confrontation carries serious risks of injury or using up essential fat reserves. For this reason, females almost always retreat when challenged by an aggressive male. Non-aggression allows access to the male’s resources.
Fighting may occur more often in artificial feeder scenarios than in wildflower patches. Hummingbirds can get “trained” to fiercely guard feeders constantly filled by people.
Age and Experience
Younger female hummingbirds are most likely to flee when chased by adult males. But mature and experienced females may stand their ground more stubbornly at a food source. They have less to fear in confrontations.
Non-Breeding Season
In fall and winter when fewer flowers are blooming, both males and females are driven by hunger over mating opportunities. Chasing is less frequent and birds are more likely to share resources. This leads to fewer conflicts at feeders.
Species Variation
Some hummingbird species tend to be more pugnacious by nature. Anna’s hummingbird females have a reputation for being more willing to engage males in conflict over food when needed.
Starvation Risk Overrides
If a female is near starvation or has an injury impairing foraging, she may uncharacteristically fight a male to access a needed feeder. This is a desperation response to emergency conditions. Under typical circumstances, avoiding conflict is the smarter choice.
Territorial Behavior Varies by Species
While chasing at feeders occurs in most hummingbird species, the intensity and persistence of territorial aggression varies:
| Species | Territorial Behavior |
|---|---|
| Anna’s Hummingbird | Highly competitive males defend feeders aggressively |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Males less aggressively guard food resources |
| Rufous Hummingbird | Extremely aggressive about feeder and flower defense |
| Calliope Hummingbird | Less territorial behavior exhibited |
| Black-chinned Hummingbird | Moderate territorial aggression at feeders |
These examples demonstrate that some species are hard-wired genetically to defend territories and resources more fiercely. However, as a general rule male hummingbirds chase females temporarily from feeders when breeding.
Anna’s Hummingbirds
Male Anna’s hummingbirds are notoriously territorial. They will aggressively defend feeders, flowers, and nest sites in their breeding habitat against all intruders. Frequent diving and chasing occurs. They also consume more insects than other species. This may contribute extra protein to fuel vigorous territorial displays.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Male ruby-throats exhibit less frequent chasing and battling at feeders. They establish looser breeding territories and are more likely to tolerate short feeder visits by females and juveniles before aggressively pursuing them away from the area. Overall, displays tend to be more subdued.
Rufous Hummingbirds
The feisty rufous hummingbird is known for its combative nature. Males fiercely defend wide feeding territories and rarely let other birds feed peacefully. They spend more time guarding food sources than other activities. Any bird that approaches is likely to be repeatedly dive-bombed and chased by angry rufous males.
Territorial Behavior Changes Across Seasons
A male hummingbird’s motivation for keeping other birds away from feeders varies depending on the time of year:
| Season | Territorial Behavior | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Breeding Season | Highly aggressive | Guard food for mate attraction |
| Fall Migration | Semi-aggressive | Compete for limited flowers |
| Winter | Least aggressive | Conserve energy |
| Spring Migration | Aggression increases | Establish breeding territory |
Territorial behavior fluctuates based on seasonal priorities like mating, migration, and energy conservation. This influences how aggressively males react to other birds at feeders throughout the year.
Breeding Season
Male hummingbirds are most aggressive in spring, summer, and early fall when competing for mates. Controlling prime feeding areas is critical for attracting females and mating opportunities during the breeding season. Intense chasing and diving occur regularly.
Fall Migration
During fall migration, flowers are scarce so hummingbirds become semi-territorial over feeders. The priority becomes gaining fuel for migration. Chasing still happens but males may be more willing to share feeders for quick nourishment.
Winter
In winter, chasing and aggression decline as hummingbirds go into energy conservation mode for surviving cold periods. Any food source may be used with minimal fighting due to scarcity. Shared feeding is more common.
Spring Migration
As spring approaches, males become more aggressive at feeders again in preparation for breeding season. Re-establishing territories and advertising to females becomes a priority. Chasing increases as part of this ritual.
Pro tips for Minimizing Chasing at Your Hummingbird Feeders
Here are some tips to reduce male hummingbird aggression around your feeders:
Provide Multiple Feeders
Having numerous feeders spread widely apart gives more birds access and minimizes conflict over any one food source. Use at least 1 feeder per 2 hummingbirds.
Use Feeding Port Clusters
Use feeders with multiple ports or clusters of ports to allow group access. Multi-port feeders let several hummingbirds drink at once.
Separate by Species
Consider specialty feeders targeted for just one species. Separating less and more aggressive birds may reduce chasing.
Offer Both Food and Perches
Give territorial males a high perch nearby to defend their feeder from. This satisfies their need to display dominance.
Keep Feeders Clean
Dirty nectar and gummed up ports can lead to conflict over limited access. Maintain fresh nectar and clean feeders regularly.
Provide Drip-Free Nectar
Nectar dripping below feeders creates a irresistible lure for other birds to trespass. Use leak-proof feeders to minimize temptation.
Add Shrubs or Trees Nearby
Planting flowers, bushes, or trees adjacent to feeders gives chased birds an escape to recover before safely returning.
Conclusion
Male hummingbirds aggressively chase females away from feeders to protect food resources and display courtship fitness as part of their breeding strategy. However, they soon allow female access again to entice breeding, gain nourishment for eggs, and boost their reproductive success.
Females retreat when chased to avoid injury, conserve energy, evaluate male territories, and obtain eventual feeding and mating opportunities. But females may occasionally fight back when age, species tendencies, season, or starvation demand it.
Understanding the context of this behavior allows hummingbird enthusiasts to enjoy the spectacle while providing a safe, abundant feeding habitat. With some careful observance and planning, we can happily witness hummingbird rituals around feeders. Their fascinating territorial displays have captivated observers for generations, all driven by the quest for survival and reproduction.
