In a message dated 10/13/2005 11:00:59 AM Alaskan Standard Time,
tweeters-request at mailman1.u.washington.edu writes:

The prevailing wisdom is that those hummers that migrate will migrate when
the time is right, regardless of the presence of a feeder.



I'll add my two cents -- Chuck's response is good (How're you doing, Chuck
-- nice to hear from you again). Hummingbirds migrate based on hormonal cues
involving changes in day length -- not food availability.

Whenever folks tell me that they take their feeders down in the fall so that
their hummingbirds will migrate, I remind them that they better also cut all
the flowers (both native and non-native) and spray for all the insects in
the neighborhood. Oh -- and cut down all the sap-producing trees that
sapsuckers drill at (or that "weep" on their own) -- hummingbirds have been known to
feed at those. Hummingbirds are going to take advantage of the best food
source available. That's often not feeders. There are untold examples of
hummingbirds absolutely ignoring feeders in preference for certain flowers as long
as they are available -- if the flower produces "better" nectar than the
feeder... I'm convinced that a hummingbird feeder is just a drop in the
proverbial bucket in the lives of hummingbirds as a whole (I'll leave open the
possibility that deranged / mutant / injured / dependent hummingbirds do exist).

Anna's Hummingbirds are a unique breed -- I'd be careful about lumping them
into a discussion of purely "migrating hummingbirds." They wander quite a
bit, but it's not "migration" in the sense of what occurs with Rufous /
Black-chinned / Calliope / Ruby-throated, etc (species which largely vacate their
breeding grounds when food availability seems highest!).

Geez, I love hummers!

Best,


--Stacy Jon Peterson
20252 Lucas Ave
Eagle River, AK 99577
Stacy at trochilids.com
http://www.trochilids.com