Hummingbird Imposters (Mystery Solved)

Self | 9-20-2002 | blam

[blam]

The last three years, at this time of year, I have put out my hummingbird feeders and I presently have 12 feeders hanging around my house, each feeder has 5-6 birds around it.
I have hummingbirds everywhere.

Now, over these last three years each evening as I go out to refill the feeders I catch sight of a strange looking 'bird' that quickly disappears so fast that I began to question whether I actually saw anything. Well, three days ago I finally got a good look at one of these critters.
It is a hummingbird looking thing but a little more fluffy and maybe a little more puffy than the 'standard' hummingbirds. I went to the library and looked through all their hummingbird books and didn't anything that looked like this 'bird.' I was beginning to think that I'd discovered a new species of hummingbird. This 'thing' does not go to the hummingbird feeders but to the flowers nearby that the hummingbirds do not bother with. I don't know what the flowers are but they are shaped like trumpets and I have decided that they are to deep for the hummingbirds to reach the nectar at the bottom. Last night I went on-line and below is what I found.

"We have had numerous reports of small orange and brown or zebra-striped "hummingbirds." These are usually hawk moths (or sphinx moths). They act just like hummingbirds, but they are insects."

These critters have a 'fold up' straw that is about six inches long that they fold out (like a carpenters folding rule) and insert into these flowers and get the nectar at the bottom.

Anyway, I thought I may enlighten some other Freepers to these Hummingbird Imposters
BTW, when the hummingbirds leave here, they fly for 26 continuous hours across the Gulf Of Mexico to the Yucatan.

[blam]

"What I thought also though was great is those humingbirds can get along well enough to have more than one to a feeder at a time! Ones around here fight terribly to dine alone, LOL!"

Southern manners? (actually they are very territorial and do fight a lot. Sometimes it looks like a swarm of bees around here)

[John Jamieson]

I too enjoy my littlest visitors. {Well my littlest welcome visitors.} Mine are drawn to the all natural flowers in my yard, courtesy Mother Nature.
You say that food dye can damage the hummingbird digestive tract? Good to know. However, I thought that the FDA had approved food dyes for human consumption, and that their approval was generally or often based on the ability of small creatures to survive the experimentation. Since then we've furthered the 'experiment' for years on our own digestive tracts with food dyes. Now you're casting aspersions on them? And I thought that it was all of the fast food, junk food, etc. that was doing us in. Mrs. JJ

[Kermit]

"I'm losing that "Tuff Guy" image I had of you, blam."

Well, he didn't mention that he hunts the critters and enjoys the challenge of nailing them with his Dirty Harry .44 Magnum.:^0

[ovrtaxt]

"Your neighbor's dog is named Indian?"

I was trying feverishly to come up with something like that!

[blam]

"What I thought also though was great is those humingbirds can get along well enough to have more than one to a feeder at a time! Ones around here fight terribly to dine alone, LOL!"

Southern manners? (actually they are very territorial and do fight a lot. Sometimes it looks like a swarm of bees around here)

[RedBloodedAmerican]

[blam]

"Now get back to figuring what happened in 540 AD. "

Catastrophic Event Preceded Dark Ages - Scientist

[JLO]

blam, for some odd reason, I'm not able to respond directly to you; hence this tag on this post. Although, I want to respond to Mrs. JJ too.

blam, the birds at our feeders will never let another one land at the same one. I have one feeder right outside my home office window just 2 feet away, so I get to watch a lot during the workday. They will fight to the death before letting another one onto the feeder. We have several kinds of feeders but the one I see the most is a 4 or 5 seater. If a 2nd bird comes in, it's always chased off. And one time we found a dead one right under the feeder. Glad yours get along better in the south - like you said; it must be the southern manners, LOL!

Mrs. JJ - the birds here love the flowers too. I'm not sure which they prefer, the flowers or feeders. They're all busy around here. Re: food dye - I've read where we shouldn't add it to the nectar as it is bad for them.

My research on this turned out to be that for hummingbird nectar to make at home that is good for them is to start with 4 parts water, add 1 part sugar and boil for 5 minutes. I've done this for years and birds come to the feeders even without the red dye.

Alas, all our little friends up this way in MN seem to have left already.

[LuigiBasco]

Now that is very funny! LOL

[LuigiBasco]

Ooops "a fin for a hummer? not a bad deal."
Now that is very funny. LOL

[FixitGuy]

Thanks for posting this, blam. Got some useful info from the links.

I feed 'em too.

No thrill like holding the feeder and having 4 or 5 land on it and look up at you!

[blam]

" Glad yours get along better in the south - like you said; it must be the southern manners, LOL! "

Well, they fight at all of mine except one. Four at at time will feed at that one with 4-5 more buzzing around (not fighting) waiting to eat. I think I'll experiment with this situation some but, my first instinct is that it is that specific 'location'

Now, I had a similar situation with the blue birds around here. I built five blue bird houses, all alike, but they would, year after year, use only one particular house. So...I swapped that bird house with one in another spot and they followed their 'favorite' house. Beats me? (all the houses are exactly alike)

[blam]

"Alas, all our little friends up this way in MN seem to have left already."

Trust me, they're all here. In fact, I have some that aren't (from the books) suppose to be here, western birds, probably lost.

[JLO]

Aha, this might be a fun learning experience then. See if they fight more than you normally see. I'm not for sure, but I'm guessing the different types of hummers might act differenty.

Sorry to say I don't don't diddly about bluebirds.

[dighton]

Yes, I do have a lot of time on my hands. I planned it that way.

IMHO, a good plan and time well spent.

[JLO]

Well blam, I'm glad I can now reply just you you. I tried twice before and it didn't work - ??? Third time, I could.

It must be the variety of the species that make the hummers act different, ya think?

In an earlier response (#10 or 11 I think) someone posted a good link about hummers (http://hummingbird.org), I think. LOTS of good info is there.

[r9etb]

We get them here in Colorado in the late spring/early summer. I've managed to see a couple of them up close, and they're really quite beautiful.

[JLO]

It was #12

http://www.hummingbirds.net

[blam]

"It must be the variety of the species that make the hummers act different, ya think?"

I thought that at first, I thought the Ruby Throats were the bullies but, it looks like who-ever shows up first starts defending the feeder. I can actually see these guys fatten up then they disappear, gone south, I guess.

They're streaming through here presently, I'm going through almost a gallon of feeder daily.

[StopGlobalWhining]

Yes, I do have a lot of time on my hands. I planned it that way.

Good for you! It's like Rush Limbaugh says: "Having more fun than one man should be allowed to have".

Enjoy!