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Re: Hummingbird behaviour





Hi Randy,
The photos of the multiple birds at feeders are usually pics taken in the
western part of the U.S.  Several of the western species are much more tolerant
of neighboring individuals than our beloved ruby-throats.  Some of these western
feeding stations use reservoirs that hold gallons of water and provide dozens of
perches!  Our ruby-throats are a little higher on the scale of aggressiveness.
You may, however, find that the local hummers will become more tolerant later in
the year after the nesting is over.  I will occasionally see all four perches
occupied on my feeders.  Many of the birds being seen now are hatch year birds
that closely resemble adult females in plumage, which may help explain why there
are more dominant "females" out there this time of year.  There are simply more
female plumaged birds out there than there are adult males.