Aggressive Hummingbird almost killed another on the window feeder today (1 Viewer)

[OLYWA2006]

We thought they were mating at first, but this Male Hummingbird bird was on this female's back for 10 minutes before we realized this was a bad thing happening. We went out to intervene, and the female laid there for a good 5 minutes before being able to fly away. The bully male resumed running off all hummingbirds the rest of the day until dusk. What is interesting is just a few days ago there were like 10 hummingbirds between the two feeders all cooperating. Now it's only one for both feeders. The 1 minute video is too large to load and it's hard to rewatch knowing in hindsight what was happening.

 

[jmepler]

Aggressive behavior around feeders by male hummingbirds is not unusual, but this sounds extreme. Sometimes placing the second feeder on the opposite side of the house will allow for the less aggressive birds to feed in peace. It is too hard the the aggressive bird to defend two feeders when he can't see them simultaneously.

 

[OLYWA2006]

Aggressive behavior around feeders by male hummingbirds is not unusual, but this sounds extreme. Sometimes placing the second feeder on the opposite side of the house will allow for the less aggressive birds to feed in peace. It is too hard the the aggressive bird to defend two feeders when he can't see them simultaneously.

I did add another feeder. Now I have them in 6 areas around the yard.

 

[fogdart]

Very interesting.... I saw this very same thing just today... Anna's hummingbirds. I also thought it was a mating pair but they ended up on the ground under the feeder and I saw the male was clutching the female's neck. I stepped outside, the male flew off and the female flew off about 30 seconds later. Yesterday I saw a male standing on the feeder perch with a female in it's clutch... again, by the neck. They separated on their own and both flew off. Interesting but a little disturbing... brutal on a tiny scale.

 

[etudiant]

Very interesting.... I saw this very same thing just today... Anna's hummingbirds. I also thought it was a mating pair but they ended up on the ground under the feeder and I saw the male was clutching the female's neck. I stepped outside, the male flew off and the female flew off about 30 seconds later. Yesterday I saw a male standing on the feeder perch with a female in it's clutch... again, by the neck. They separated on their own and both flew off. Interesting but a little disturbing... brutal on a tiny scale.

Hummingbirds were symbolic of the Aztec god of war, for good reason. They are insanely disputatious and even in the wild defend feeding sites viciously.

 

[TFM70]

I've seen Rubythroats fight, but not that bad.
Nothing to do with hummers, but birds, at one time I had a flock of yard chickens on my property and one of the roosters and a dominant hen fought all day. I would break it up and they would start back. Finally after several hours, I saw the hen laying in the yard on her back, I presumed dead. I moved her and it turned out she was still alive. She recovered and the rooster had no more trouble with her.

 

[Elkhornsun]

I added more feeders and now have 4 feeders that each have 10 feeding ports and the hummers are much more docile when they do not have to compete for the sugar water. I get more than 40 hummers at a time perched on the feeders.