Hi,

I already said this in a mesage sometime time ago, also in answer to someone elses experience. But since it backs up other observations, I'm mentioning it again.

When I was stationed at Fort Huachuca, AZ, a female Black-chinned Hummingbird kept returning to the exact spot under the eaves of our duplex on post, obviosly looking for the feeder I had hanging there in the 2 previous years (this was Spring). Since we were awaiting orders for Germany, I purposely didn't want the hummers to get habituated to the feeders again. But the persistence of the hummer paid off for her, and I hung a feeder back up, after brewing a pot of necktar.

Actually, we didn't leave until July, so it gave the hummers a few months of sugarwater.

Phil Hotlen
Bellingham, WA
-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: karen reagan <sphitz at u.washington.edu>
>
> Hi Richard,
>
> There is indeed experimental work being done on hummingbird memory and learning.
> A quick literature search turned up this abstract. I thought you might be
> interested.
>
> Title: A field study of spatial memory in green-backed firecrown hummingbirds
> (Sephanoides sephaniodes)
> Author(s): Gonzalez-Gomez PL (Gonzalez-Gomez, Paulina L.), Vasquez RA (Vasquez,
> Rodrigo A.)
> Source: ETHOLOGY 112 (8): 790-795 AUG 2006
>
> Abstract: The foraging ecology of hummingbirds involves the exploitation of a
> high number of patchily distributed flowers. This scenario seems to have
> influenced capabilities related to learning and memory, which help to avoid
> recently visited flowers and to allocate exploitation to the most rewarding
> flowers, once learning has occurred. We carried out two field experiments with
> the green-backed firecrown hummingbird (Sephanoides sephaniodes, Trochilidae) in
> order to examine the ability of birds, first, to recall a nectar location, and
> secondly, to remember the location of the most rewarding flower among lower
> quality flowers. The first experiment showed that subjects were able to recall
> the location of nectar among flowers of identical appearance. In the second
> experiment, hummingbirds were also able to recall the location of the most
> rewarding nectar among less rewarding flowers with the
> same appearance. The results of this study suggest that S. sephaniodes can
> remember the location of the most rewarding patch, facilitating efficient
> exploitation of flowers in the absence of visual cues related to nectar quality.
>
> Best,
>
> -karen.reagan
>
> --------(snip)--------
>
> From: Richard Carlson <rccarl at pacbell.net>
> Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Hummer activity on Oak Bay. 2005 to 2007
> To: Dave Nuttall <dave_nuttall at yahoo.com>, Tweeters
> <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
>
>
> Tweeters:
>
> I don't know if there is experimental data, but my
> hummers at Tahoe and Tucson appear to have a learning
> curve and a memory. That means that once they know
> the feeders are there, I'm one of the first places
> that get checked when they return the next year. I'm
> also one of the last spots to see the last migrants.
> The result looks like they come earlier and earlier,
> but I think that they're just smarter than we think.
>
> RCC
>
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