Threat display in a hummer? (1 Viewer)

Hi, I have just uploaded a picture to my gallery http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/92615/sort/1/cat/500/page/1 that shows a Purple-throated Carib in a display I have interpreted as a threat to other hummers not to come too close. It seems that he is especially trying to discourage other members of his own species, but initially he tried to keep everyone else away: pretty difficult with 10 other birds trying to get to the feeder at the same time.

He did not fly off immediately after this image was taken, but did sail out several times. Attached is a second image of him, threatening a flying hummer.

Now, I have not previously seen this display until maybe a week ago, even though I have been feeding these hummers for a couple of years. Is it a well known display from other species of hummers? Am I correct in my interpretation of what is going on?

thanks
Niels

I don't have any experiance with the Carib's, but have seen Sparkling & White-vented Violet-ears and Sombre Hummingbird all performing rather similar threat displays during interspecific conflicts, although they tend to be rather short-lived as they usually shift to chasing instead. From my experiance there are quite a few species of hummingbirds that have threat displays (Red-tailed Comet, Ecuadorian Hillstar, Oasis Hummingbird, various Coquettes, Brazilian Ruby, Booted Racquet-tail, Hyacinth Visorbearer, Plovercrest, Crimson Topaz, Snowcap, etc.), but they are rather different from the one on the photo (at least the ones I've seen).

Thanks Rasmus,
that kind of confirms my interpretation. I should have been more clear in my initial post: this hummer does a lot of chasing and that has been the kind of territorial efforts that I have seen earlier; this display is then an extra thing that I had not noticed before.

Niels

It's my understanding that in natural habitats most hummingbirds will defend their feeding territories against all other hummers, often quite aggressively, and they will chase off any bird that strays too close when rearing their young. I have seen a Copper-rumped hummer chase an Osprey, which I thought brave but foolish. I am currently watching the antics of four hummers, 2 Copper-rumped and 2 Ruby-topaz, that share the same trees. Fighting and chasing is a constant part of their lives, and it can mean the difference between survival or death. So I am always amazed to see hummingbirds display tolerance for each other at feeders.

Great capture, Niels, to show the spread wings and the head-wagging (if I'm interpreting your photo correctly). :t:

Bob Brent said:

It's my understanding that in natural habitats most hummingbirds will defend their feeding territories against all other hummers, often quite aggressively, and they will chase off any bird that strays too close when rearing their young.

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Actually, there are quite large variations depending on species. For example, Violet-ears tend to be extremely aggressive, while the Coquettes tend to do whatever they can to avoid aggressive interactions (it has also been speculated that the moth mimicry in Coquettes is part of this strategy of avoiding being detected by other Humminbirds & thereby aggressive emcounters). Anyway, many, or probably even most humminbirds are indeed quite aggressive and I have also seen some have a go at other much larger birds (not quite an Osprey, though!).

Katy Penland said:

Great capture, Niels, to show the spread wings and the head-wagging (if I'm interpreting your photo correctly). :t:

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Thank you Katy, yes I interpret what I see in the photo the same way.

Also thank you to everyone who have answered this thread :clap:

Niels