Have seen this behavior also, at a friends feeder in OR. We counted at least 12-14 hummers at a time. The funny thing was that there were so many of them, that some other birds that were watching, kept coming over to the feeder to see what all the fuss was about. When they found nothing they liked, they would fly off, the hummers would come back, and the whole thing would start over.
----- Original Message -----
From: Rolan Nelson
To: ingawh at yahoo.com ; tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 1:54 PM
Subject: Re: Communal Rufus Hummingbirds


Inga,

Back before I was a birder (so I can't tell you what kind they were) I used to hang out at a friend's ranch in rural Oregon where he had two feeders about 6 feet apart with a dowel between them. There were often 20 tp 30 hummers at a time sitting and/or feeding just outside his window, so I know it does happen.

-Rolan

Inga Holmquist <ingawh at yahoo.com> wrote:

Hello Tweeters!

Has anyone else seen behavior like this:

I have three hummingbird feeders (none within sight of each other) at my home in the hills outside of Orting, WA. I am almost overrun with hummingbirds at the moment. The male RUFUS HUMMINGBIRDS usually try to guard their chosen feeder from all other males (but may allow a female to drink with them.)

HOWEVER, last night, starting in the late dusk and continuing for about 10 - 15 minutes until it was nearly pitch-dark, I had up to 8 hummingbirds feeding at a time at one feeder, including 4 males together at the same time. Often two birds had their beaks in one tiny feeder-hole at the same time! (This is a small feeder!) This feeder is attached to my kitchen window, where the light was on and I could stand three feet away on the other side of the glass and get a perfect look.

This morning, they are back to their unsociable ways. Was it the fact that a cold night was coming on, and stoking up on calories was more important than territorial issues? Was the light what attracted them? (But still, what made them not quarrel?) Any other thoughts?

Thanks!



Inga Holmquist
P.O. Box 1141
Orting, WA 98360
ingawh at yahoo.com




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Rolan Nelson
Burley, WA
rnbuffle at yahoo.com




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