Subject: Anna's hummer in winter (was Hummingbird Feeders)
Date: Aug 25 12:28:56 1997
From: "M. Donahue" - mgd at u.washington.edu


Michael Price stated in his message on hummingbird feeders "Since
the virtually non-migratory Anna's Hummingbirds cannot survive the average
northern Cascadian winter without feeder help...."

I've been curious about this, since I can't imagine that these birds are
surviving without feeders, but I've found hummingbirds in the dead of
winter that were in an area AT LEAST 1/4 mile from the nearest feeder.
(And that's assuming that one of the nearest houses had a feeder.)

I've observed these birds consistently in these areas over the winter, so
I know that the birds were not just passing though where I'd observed
them; that this area was part of their regular home range. I think birds
that ARE centered around feeders are biasing us towards the idea that they
NEED them to survive.

I do believe that feeders are definately helping the population survive
our winters, particularly when we have a more severe one. However, I'm
not convinced that if everyone took their feeders
down all at once that all the Anna's would die.

Mike Donahue