Chickadees at hummingbird feeder? (1 Viewer)

[canadagurl123]

Well several times over the last couple months I've had Chestnut sided Chickadees at my hummingbird feeder taking a sip. Has anyone ever had them do this? I just ind it very odd behaviour.

 

[KnockerNorton]

It's got a root in natural behaviour, as chickadees will drink the sap from damaged trees, so sugarwater is essemtially the same thing for them. They're inquisitive too, hence they figured out how to use the feeders in the first place!

 

[canadagurl123]

Thank you I was just making sure it was normal bird behaviour. Thank you very much.

 

[KnockerNorton]

Of course, if it's frozen up there, then they may simply have been coming for a drink, and seen the unfrozen liquid.

Out of curiosity, how come you have feeders up still in winter? Haven't the hummers migrated south? How come you still have sugarwater out? Do other species use them?

 

[canadagurl123]

In Victoria we have Anna's Hummingbirds year round and it barely gets below freezing. It's not cold for long enough to let it freeze. The Anna's are very dependent on the feeders during the winter and I have 4 resident ones in my backyard yearround and even a nest on one of my trees!!

 

[KnockerNorton]

In Victoria we have Anna's Hummingbirds year round and it barely gets below freezing. It's not cold for long enough to let it freeze. The Anna's are very dependent on the feeders during the winter and I have 4 resident ones in my backyard yearround and even a nest on one of my trees!!

ok, thanks, I didn't know they wintered so far north. If everyone stopped feeding, do you think they'd stop wintering? Is it a new thing, their staying in the winter, directly related to feeders?

 

[canadagurl123]

There's a possibnility they'd all go to Oregon and california but they only exist on the west coast and there are year round flowers around here so probably some but not all would over winter but I'm not sure.I havr a bird book that 20 years ago said they over wintered then two but I think it is more common now.

 

[JeffMoh]

I've never seen our Chickadees do this but our House Finches used our hummer feeder more than the hummingbirds did last summer/fall. In the end I had to remove the perches to make sure there was some nectar available for the hummingbirds!

Jeff

 

[canadagurl123]

Well there's no perches but the chickadees still use it. I shouldn't of jinxed myself yesterday. For the first time the feeder is frozen. It got to -5C last night and is still minus 2.

 

[Juju222]

We have house finches at our hummer feeder too. It has four "flowers" with the yellow inserts to keep out the finches, but I left one open so they can feed from it. They perch above the flower and go "upside down" to drink!

Today I saw for the first time a Gila Woodpecker at the feeder. He used the perch and kind of sat sideways to get into the flower. He used one of the ones with the yellow inserts for hummingbirds! Next time I will have my camera at the ready.

 

[Nkathy]

I have chickadees at my hummingbird feeder this summer even though I have a birdbath/water bowl very close to it. California is so hot every day, no relief, maybe its climate related.

 

[KC Foggin]

My Downys are always at my hummer feeders