Is it Hummingbird Play or Aggression?

Is it Hummingbird Play or Aggression?

I have witnessed an odd behavior, actually almost comical rather than odd, amongst the 18 or so humming birds that frequent my garden feeders.

We have three feeders with six holes each and, initially, the birds were very territorial.

But now we have even seen birds sitting side-by-side and sharing one of the holes.

But the most surprising is when one of the hummingbirds comes up from under a feeding bird, grabs his tail in his slender beak, and pulls him off to free a slot.

This has an alternative action when a bird tries to free a slot by coming from above and touches the feeding bird with his beak.

This typically results in the feeding bird reaching up to grab the intruder by the tail to pull him away.

Any thoughts? Comments?

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Is it Hummingbird Play or Aggression?

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Aug 31, 2008
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Breakfast Anyone?
by: Donna

It's nice to find others who take as much delight in these wonderful little creatures as my husband and I do. We join them on our deck every morning for coffee and breakfast. They've come to know there's no reason to fear us or our two cocker spaniels. The ones we've seen are all brown. Not knowing a lot about them (but learning) I thought they must all be females. Any help on this. They seem to love our big oak trees. Next year the flower garden and planter boxes will be planted with them very much in mind.

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