Maybe flaming orange is dominant over grayish green?

Gene.

On Mon, 17 Apr 1995, Dennis Paulson wrote:

> >This weekend I hung an improved (bigger && better) feeder and instantly
> >Anna's (mostly female) hummers began utilizing this pseudo-necter source.
> > Often two or three would be at the feeder at once. However, every once in a
> >while a rufuous hummer would arrive and chase the Anna's off. Often the
> >rufous would not even use the feeder. I was wondering if it is common for
> >rufous hummingbirds to be more aggressive upon arrival in the Pacific
> >Northwest (analgous to late-arriving yellow-headed blackbirds chasing
> >red-winged blackbirds off their territories in eastern Wa) ??
> >
> >Eric Henriksen
> >Gig Harbor (Cromwell)
> >206 265 2991
> >
> >Compliance Services International
> >206 272 0863
> >ericboyd at aol.com
>
> The reason yellowheads chase redwings is because they're larger; might
> makes right in the avian world. Rufous is smaller than Anna's, so your
> observations are interesting, as in most hummingbird systems larger species
> are dominant to smaller. Maybe male Rufous is dominant to female Anna's?
> Do male Rufous chase male Anna's? Female Rufous female Anna's? Maybe the
> Rufous is territorial there, and the Anna's are "floaters."
>
> I didn't realize Anna's were so common at Gig Harbor. 3 Anna's at a feeder
> at once is rather unusual for this area, I thought.
>
> Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
> Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
> University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
> Tacoma, WA 98416
>
>
>