Tired hummingbird hanging by its beak, twice! (1 Viewer)

[zippetydude]

A few months ago a hummingbird got stuck in our garage even though the big garage door was open. He skimmed along up by the roof and seemed unable to comprehend that flying down a few feet would give him an easy exit. I left him alone for an hour or so, but when I went back out, he was still trapped in there.

So...I got a broom and slowly slid it along the roof, trying to get him to fly downwards. He didn't get the idea, so this went on for maybe 5 minutes or so. He began to land on various shelves that are up high, seemingly getting tired. I kept gently following him, trying to shoo him downward so he could go out. He still didn't get the idea, but I guess he got too exhausted to fly or stand, because he flew up by the bracket that holds our garage door opener to the ceiling, wedged his beak in between the bracket and the ceiling and just hung there.

I was amazed, as I had never heard of such a thing. I got the ladder and climbed up, gripped him ever so softly, gently dislodged him, carried him outside, and when I opened my hand, he sped away.

I chalked it up to a strange event, then last week, the exact same thing happened again. Should have seen the look on my face when I saw little guy hanging in the same place by his beak, just like the previous one.

So my question: Is this a normal coping behavior for tired humming birds? Or, by some strange coincidence, was it maybe the same bird? Anyone got any thoughts? I am baffled.

z

 

[KC Foggin]

I'm assuming it hadn't eaten in awhile so torpor may have been the cause of it's behavior.

See this article:

http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.23...d=4&uid=83&uid=63&uid=3739256&sid=56192342483

 

[Xenospiza]

He still didn't get the idea, but I guess he got too exhausted to fly or stand, because he flew up by the bracket that holds our garage door opener to the ceiling, wedged his beak in between the bracket and the ceiling and just hung there.

I have seen exactly the same behaviour from a stressed Saw-billed Hermit (a Brazilian hummingbird). It had been caught inside a large room and after bumping into the windows a couple of times, it hung itself from the ceiling in exactly the same way. Later, it flew down and settled on a glass of orange juice!
Needless to say, we were baffled too. It must be the way hummingbirds cope with too much adrenalin...

 

[zippetydude]

Ah hah!

So I'm not the only one who's seen this! I'm glad...I was wondering if people would think this was some silly hoax or something. I wonder if it's something they do instinctively or if they somehow figure it out by accident. That seems unlikely, but who knows? I'm surprised that it's not common knowledge that they do this. A google search didn't yield any accounts but my own...

z

 

[Mtnrrlady]

A few months ago a hummingbird got stuck in our garage even though the big garage door was open. He skimmed along up by the roof and seemed unable to comprehend that flying down a few feet would give him an easy exit. I left him alone for an hour or so, but when I went back out, he was still trapped in there.

So...I got a broom and slowly slid it along the roof, trying to get him to fly downwards. He didn't get the idea, so this went on for maybe 5 minutes or so. He began to land on various shelves that are up high, seemingly getting tired. I kept gently following him, trying to shoo him downward so he could go out. He still didn't get the idea, but I guess he got too exhausted to fly or stand, because he flew up by the bracket that holds our garage door opener to the ceiling, wedged his beak in between the bracket and the ceiling and just hung there.

I was amazed, as I had never heard of such a thing. I got the ladder and climbed up, gripped him ever so softly, gently dislodged him, carried him outside, and when I opened my hand, he sped away.

I chalked it up to a strange event, then last week, the exact same thing happened again. Should have seen the look on my face when I saw little guy hanging in the same place by his beak, just like the previous one.

So my question: Is this a normal coping behavior for tired humming birds? Or, by some strange coincidence, was it maybe the same bird? Anyone got any thoughts? I am baffled.

z

The almost exact thing happened to me. He stuck his beak in the overhead door two times backing out two times. Another coincidence.... Your screen name here "zippitydude"?..... Zippitydooda is in my email address.

 

[Mtnrrlady]

A few months ago a hummingbird got stuck in our garage even though the big garage door was open. He skimmed along up by the roof and seemed unable to comprehend that flying down a few feet would give him an easy exit. I left him alone for an hour or so, but when I went back out, he was still trapped in there.

So...I got a broom and slowly slid it along the roof, trying to get him to fly downwards. He didn't get the idea, so this went on for maybe 5 minutes or so. He began to land on various shelves that are up high, seemingly getting tired. I kept gently following him, trying to shoo him downward so he could go out. He still didn't get the idea, but I guess he got too exhausted to fly or stand, because he flew up by the bracket that holds our garage door opener to the ceiling, wedged his beak in between the bracket and the ceiling and just hung there.

I was amazed, as I had never heard of such a thing. I got the ladder and climbed up, gripped him ever so softly, gently dislodged him, carried him outside, and when I opened my hand, he sped away.

I chalked it up to a strange event, then last week, the exact same thing happened again. Should have seen the look on my face when I saw little guy hanging in the same place by his beak, just like the previous one.

So my question: Is this a normal coping behavior for tired humming birds? Or, by some strange coincidence, was it maybe the same bird? Anyone got any thoughts? I am baffled.

z

I saw this too and have a pic!

 

[Mtnrrlady]

A few months ago a hummingbird got stuck in our garage even though the big garage door was open. He skimmed along up by the roof and seemed unable to comprehend that flying down a few feet would give him an easy exit. I left him alone for an hour or so, but when I went back out, he was still trapped in there.

So...I got a broom and slowly slid it along the roof, trying to get him to fly downwards. He didn't get the idea, so this went on for maybe 5 minutes or so. He began to land on various shelves that are up high, seemingly getting tired. I kept gently following him, trying to shoo him downward so he could go out. He still didn't get the idea, but I guess he got too exhausted to fly or stand, because he flew up by the bracket that holds our garage door opener to the ceiling, wedged his beak in between the bracket and the ceiling and just hung there.

I was amazed, as I had never heard of such a thing. I got the ladder and climbed up, gripped him ever so softly, gently dislodged him, carried him outside, and when I opened my hand, he sped away.

I chalked it up to a strange event, then last week, the exact same thing happened again. Should have seen the look on my face when I saw little guy hanging in the same place by his beak, just like the previous one.

So my question: Is this a normal coping behavior for tired humming birds? Or, by some strange coincidence, was it maybe the same bird? Anyone got any thoughts? I am baffled.

z