Community Chat

[HLP]

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

On our terrace, we've got a very nice hummingbird feeder.  An aggresive hummer sits on the nearby ficus and stands guard over it .... if other hummers come to feed, he swoops at them and chases them away!   I didn't know there was such a thing as a bully h-bird, until this little guy came along.  He's very persistent!

I want all the interested hummers to be able to feed, but am not sure what to do about the aggressive one.   Anyone have any experience, suggestions ...  or whatever?   TIA!

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Oh Yes!!! I put a second feeder up, and that stopped the bully.

[HLP]

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@HLP wrote:

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@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

On our terrace, we've got a very nice hummingbird feeder.  An aggresive hummer sits on the nearby ficus and stands guard over it .... if other hummers come to feed, he swoops at them and chases them away!   I didn't know there was such a thing as a bully h-bird, until this little guy came along.  He's very persistent!

I want all the interested hummers to be able to feed, but am not sure what to do about the aggressive one.   Anyone have any experience, suggestions ...  or whatever?   TIA!

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Oh Yes!!! I put a second feeder up, and that stopped the bully.

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I also hang it in the same tree. It works, he can't guard them both.

[Spurt]

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@Pezzie wrote:

Hummers can be territorial.  We have hummers that do the same.  I put out three feeders, a distance from each other, and it seems to work.  They all have a chance to feed.

My biggest peeve are the woodpeckers.  They drain the feeders, and because of their size, they also tip the feeders so there is spillage, and that attracts the bees.  I just clap my hands to scare them away.

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@Pezzie 

One funny story about woodpeckers, the downspout of the rain pipes of our condo are painted brown, one morning I heard all this pounding and banging....I looked out the window and there was a woodpecker pounding on it....I guess he thought it was wood because it was brown... LOL.....

[Spurt]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@Tinkrbl44   I can't believe you'd even suggest or contemplate trying to control a bully hummingbird.  What do you want to do, give him a time out?

Some species are naturally aggressive and there isn't a darn thing you can do about it.  Watching them "do their thing" is what makes watching hummers fun.  All birds are not created equal in Mother Nature's world.

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@Tinkrbl44 

I had a "bully" hummingbird that bullied ME.....he fussed at me because I had neglected to refill the feeder ... LOL!!!   I had to end up taking my hummingbird feeder down because it attracted wasps and fire ants I even tried those special kind of feeders that was supposed to stop that but didnt....but I do have some flowering plants that the hummers will occasionally make a trip to.... 

@Kachina624 

Yep, your right...there are "bully birds" and one of the worst happens to be our State bird, the Mockingbird....the name is a clue 😄 Mockingbirds can be extraordinarily territorial. They've been known to swoop and dive at pretty much anything, including people. They will also regularly chase other birds away from their preferred food sources, like fruit-bearing trees, in the winter. The Northern Mockingbird was chosen because "it is a fighter and protects its home like any true Texan" per the 1927 Texas Legislators

[wagirl]

really??? and just HOW are you going to make that little bird behave???  good luck !!

[riley1]

@Tinkrbl44 - Yes, they can be bullies - especially with their feeder. I added feeders throughout my property to give the others a place to stop and sip.

[Kachina624]

@Spurt    Back in my youth in Pennsylvania, we had a mockingbird that designated our neighborhood as it's territory.  We had a huge, orange cat at the time.  Everytime that bird saw our cat, it would attack it.  Poor cat was terrified of that bird.  Mom would quietly sneak the cat out the back door when he wanted to go out, then she'd have to watch for the bird in order to rescue the poor cat.  That mockingbird controlled the whole neighborhood.

We have a hummingbird species called the Rufous which shows up in late summer.  Beautiful bird that looks like a metallic copper penny.  When he appears he completely takes over and controls the feeders as he's extremely aggressive and territorial.

Rufous Hummingbird

[Spurt]

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@Kachina624 wrote:

@Spurt    Back in my youth in Pennsylvania, we had a mockingbird that designated our neighborhood as it's territory.  We had a huge, orange cat at the time.  Everytime that bird saw our cat, it would attack it.  Poor cat was terrified of that bird.  Mom would quietly sneak the cat out the back door when he wanted to go out, then she'd have to watch for the bird in order to rescue the poor cat.  That mockingbird controlled the whole neighborhood.

We have a hummingbird species called the Rufous which shows up in late summer.  Beautiful bird that looks like a polished copper penny.  When he appears he completely takes over and controls the feeders as he's extremely aggressive and territorial.

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@Kachina624 

Your story with your orange cat and "Mockers" (as we like to call them) sounds similar to what happened to a neighbor's cat growing up.....Our neighbor, Mabel, had a gray striped cat named, Tom.  And the "Mockers" would just torment him unmercifully....and he didnt even come near their nest which was in another yard, he seldom went outside and always stayed in his own yard by some hedges....Mabel told us kids if we saw Tom being attacked please knock on her door so she could bring him in....

Interesting, never heard of a Rufous hummingbird.....had to look it up....How pretty----

[esmerelda]

@Tinkrbl44  Hang another feeder.  Out of sight of the first one if you can.  Or at least away from the first.

[riley1]

@Kachina624 - How lucky you are to have a Rufous - they are pretty. Here is SC we only have the Ruby Throat.

And, we sure have mockingbirds - they are everywhere. One sits on the top of the tree in the back and surveys/guards her (his) domain - then moves to the peak of our roof and sits and sings all day.