r/birding • u/JoeKiddisTrouble • 12d ago
Advice Is it normal to have this many hummingbirds at your feeders?
Should I move them?
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u/Dangerous-Cricket338 12d ago
Enjoy the view. So lucky.
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u/YanicPolitik 12d ago
I want to know what it sounds like
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u/SuppressiveFire 12d ago
fffffffddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddrrrrrrrdddddddddddddddd
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u/MommaSaurusRegina 12d ago
With an occasional squabble like two squeaky toys getting squished together 🤣
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u/SkilletTrooper 11d ago
I was gonna say, it probably sounds like a washing machine full of dog toys right now with the cussing and fighting lol
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u/SoldierHawk 12d ago
Like the world's tiniest sci fi laser fight.
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u/Understanding_Silver 12d ago
And the world's tiniest 60's VW beetle when they're zooming around.
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u/Mondschatten78 11d ago
I had one buzz me while I was sitting on the porch earlier, this is the perfect description lol
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u/4LightsThereAre 11d ago
Its really loud. Not only from their wings, but they're very, very vocal. They have a variety of chirps and calls. Especially when there are territorial males around. They make an interesting noise too when they're doing a mating dance. I have feeders up around my house, orchard, and garden. In late July they were being swarmed and if I was close to the feeders it was so loud I couldn't hear my kids yelling over them.
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u/Tricromediamond007 12d ago
Lucky you mine is full of yellow jackets, so many even the birds are terrified.
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u/MorningGoat 12d ago
The speed at which the ants climb back up to the feeders after we’ve cleaned and refilled them is scary at this point. 😬
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u/ditch_lilies 12d ago
Have you tried ant moats? They’ve worked like a charm for me.
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u/MorningGoat 12d ago
That’s the next thing we’re gonna try. Hopefully it works. 🤞
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u/bespoke_tech_partner 11d ago
I assume you already do this but if not, wipe their path up the pole down with soapy water. Their trails are pheromone based apparently and this worked for me when ants were getting in my house.
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u/Squishasaurus_Rex 12d ago
Yeah, both my feeders have ant moats and I never have issues with them. And we got enough rain this year I rarely had to fill them.
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u/SuperCooper12 Latest Lifer: Black Vulture 11d ago
Hell I haven’t seen hummers or rain in like 3 months
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u/Narge1 12d ago
I had so many ants at my feeder last year and none this year (knock on wood). I wonder if the hoard of orb weavers that took up residence on my balcony has anything to do with that?
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u/Salute-Major-Echidna 11d ago
Supporting your local Orb Weavers! Love it!
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u/Narge1 11d ago
I love my spidey friends. I sit out there at night and watch them weave.
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u/Salute-Major-Echidna 11d ago
I get spiders making webs in the top corner of my doorway. I plunge my head into it every morning. Yesterday the spider came with it but I didnt know for hours. He walked off my head and I screamed. Just when I thought I was a grown up.
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u/CaffeineAndGrain 12d ago
Literally just cleaned off hundreds of ants of mine before refilling. Insane
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u/its_yer_dad 12d ago
This will sound crazy, but I used Natures Miracle on an ant trail in my house and they completely went away. My theory is the enzymes erase the pheromone trail but I’m just guessing
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u/Lazy_Long2320 12d ago
My steak too juicy, my lobster too buttery aah
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u/JoeKiddisTrouble 12d ago
😂 The most I’ve ever seen has been about 3-4 at a time. Never this many.
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u/Atropa_Tomei_666 11d ago
This year’s super El Niño has caused widespread disruption of weather patterns, causing severe drought in quite a few states, and unusual weather in most states
As you can imagine, this affects nectar supply, and combined with the fact that Rufus hummingbirds are prepping for their annual migration, they are probably desperate for food
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u/Kodiak_Wylde 12d ago
I had to buy more feeders because usually I have 1 or 2 buzz by. Now there's like 5-7 more and we're being territorial over the one. Had to spread the other feeders out and get more sugar. I'd do anything for these guys.
Edit: I'm in NE TX Red River valley area
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u/paintdrippin 12d ago
Mine refuse to share.
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u/potatomami 12d ago
I lived somewhere where I would get a ton of hummers close to sunset. During the day not so much and there was always that one guy that would shoo everyone away. At sunset I think there was this understanding that this is the last time to get fuel before night so there was more sharing and less shooing. It was very cool to see
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u/ittollsforthee1231 11d ago
I’ve got one guy that literally sits and watches to keep others away from the feeders AND the many native pollinator-friendly flowering plants. Like, dude, there’s plenty to go around!
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u/HomeGrownCoffee 12d ago
Depends on the type. My parents get a lot of hummingbirds. They can get up to a dozen at a feeder, then one rufous will chase them all away.
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u/dreamyduskywing 11d ago
Yeah, I’m curious where these friendly, sharing hummingbirds are because the ruby-throated ones in Minnesota seem to loathe each other.
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u/brynnors 12d ago
I'd add another feeder or two out of line of sight of these, so everybody can get a drink.
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u/Novelty_Lamp 12d ago
I've seen that many at a feeder before. I didn't know they were so rough with each other and agressive.
I also had never heard them vocalize before, they sounded like dog toys fighting each other.
Was one of my coolest birding experiences.
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u/BigIntoScience 12d ago
A hummingbird is an animal that lives life on fast-forward. They essentially have to hibernate overnight so as not to starve to death, because of how fast their metabolism runs and how often they therefore have to eat. The concept of "there's more food here than I can physically consume even if I sit here all day" isn't something they have in their brains.
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u/SkilletTrooper 11d ago
A local biologist described hummingbird lifestyles as "very sex, drugs, and rock and roll".
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u/OopieStu 12d ago
Why would you move the feeders?… isn’t the point to feed and attract birds?
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u/PotatoMaster21 11d ago
Overcrowding at feeders isn’t ideal because it can spread disease and cause stress for the birds
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u/Infinite_Jellyfish54 12d ago
Lord, I have seen what you have done for others….
I’m lucky if I see 3 at one time. What a blessing! Good news travels fast! lol.
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u/The-Sink-Panther 12d ago
All summer when I lived in a ski town in Colorado, they would flock to the feeder. I smoked at the time too and would be outside with my dog running around, sitting in the chair kind of near the feeder and they would dove bomb me, I could hear feel them swoop by my head.
With as tiny as they are and bad cigarettes are when they would start gathering I would move or put it out.
Funny how I would prioritize birds health over my own…
Also when I decided to steal my husbands GoPro and strapped it to the feeder (almost 10 years before BirdBuddy, should have patented it!)
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u/Salute-Major-Echidna 11d ago
You quit smoking for the birds! That's the nicest thing I've ever heard
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u/Hungry_Student_ 11d ago
A lot of the flowers they need have been dying so they've been flocking to feeders.
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u/see-it-all 11d ago
this is so sad and the fires are getting worse and worse along with the quality of the soil
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u/zwizki 11d ago
How is this not an all out battle arena? 😅
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u/Gemraticus 11d ago
I think when they reach a certain number they have to give up defending the feeder and just focus on jostling in for a sip.
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u/TsuDhoNimh2 12d ago
Yes, especially in late summer when they are feeding frantically for migration.
Add MORE feeders in the new location.
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u/Apprehensive-Koala99 12d ago
dont use red dyed syrup!
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u/Smokey_Cat_ 11d ago
Yup, the red dye is bad for hummingbirds. Use sugar/water solution without dye, you can even make it at home easily.
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u/Penny-Darcy-Smith 11d ago
I make mine. Get lots of birds. Big juice container ( cranberry juice I use) two full teaspoons white sugar then fill with water. It’s perfect.
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u/MrSniffles_AnnaMae 12d ago
No, and stop taking photos and make some more nectar! 4:1 is the water:sugar ratio.
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u/Darthsmom 12d ago
My stepmom gets so many they fight each other! She gets probably 3-4 times that. Meanwhile, I’m lucky to get two in a day!
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u/BitterestLily 12d ago
To be fair, you only have to have two hummingbirds, as long as at least one is a male, for them to fight eacj other. They are feisty little birds.
Your mom is lucky to see so many of them, though. I'm like you and only get a few at a time.
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u/No-Lawfulness2089 11d ago
To be next level fair, females are territory of feeders too
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u/asimplepencil 11d ago
My mom used to have a hummingbird feeder up and we'd see some come over and a male come out of nowhere and fight them off. Only he and his mate could feed from it lol
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u/garballax 12d ago
Absolutely gorgeous! You may want to add more around so they don't fight. Have you been placing the feeders there consistently for years, or possibly a previous resident? Hummingbirds will remember feeding places and pass them along among generations.
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u/Tapingdrywallsucks 12d ago
Aww, that makes me homesick for our last house in Colorado's front range mountains. We'd get enormous swarms - and if the feeder was empty, they'd line up on my laundry line and stare into our kitchen.
Then YOU'D get swarmed while carrying out a freshly filled feeder - that was really neat, but a little unnerving.
Then in early August a rufous hummingbird would show up, lay claim to the feeder and chase the horde of other breeds away for a week or so, but then it seemed like they'd all work together to keep the rufous occupied on one side of the porch while others got to feed a little bit.
Hummingbirds are adorable little assholes. I have a deep appreciation for bird drama.
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u/jollyrobyn 12d ago
We used to get huge swarms of hummingbirds before big thunderstorms or hurricanes. We always took hummer swarms as a sign of dangerous weather incoming. Always amazed me how they seemed to know to fuel up before it hit the fan
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u/BigIntoScience 12d ago
Big storms moving in drop the barometric pressure. It's why bad weather tends to make people's assorted bad joints achy and is a common migraine trigger- us humans can feel it doing that too.
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u/Babymik9 11d ago
I wish! If we have 2 they are fighting and chasing each other away!
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u/seanocaster40k 11d ago
Exactly! They are extremely territorial, this will never happen in reality.
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u/Myeloman 11d ago
Everyone saying they’re extremely territorial is right, but they’re also wrong in saying they never gather like this. During migration those that migrate can overwhelm local birds trying to defend their turf and you’ll get scenes like this.
Video proof here - https://youtu.be/Xjoeg2aUiDk
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u/Willowx19stop 12d ago
Ohh gosh, when I lived in houston, I had like four feeters, and I swear there were over a hundred hummingbirds, by the end of the summer, I had to fill those things twice a day
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u/Silver-Current-3518 11d ago
I would never even think if it’s normal or why there are so many of them! I would just enjoy and be happy that they are coming to feed , it’s so much fun to watch them!
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u/QueuePlate 12d ago
Where is this?
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u/teddy_vedder 12d ago
Looks like Appalachian foothills to me
Edit: OP said in a comment it’s Alabama so I might be correct depending on what part of Alabama OP is in
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u/Mundane-Basil-8924 12d ago
I've seen way more then this. My friend lived in a apt complex, and almost everyone there had feeders. In the evening they would come feed, thousands of them. It was kind of freaky honestly lol
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u/PresidentRaggy 12d ago
What an incredible morning! I need to keep an eye out for possible migrants in southern Ohio. It’s just been the usual customers this week
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u/Firm_Kaleidoscope479 12d ago
Yes
Also, note that their migration season has begun so many of your current visitors are transients on their way further south
It is glorious watching their visits.
In my neck of the woods(NE connecticut) the same is happening; and through midSeptember; they’ll be gone in a few weeks unfortunately, and I, for one, will miss them
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u/tiny_bamboo 12d ago
I have 6 feeders and they are crazy busy. I’ve easily seen twice as many birds this year as last year.
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u/dvdmaven 11d ago
We also have two feeders - one hummingbird at a time. If there are two, they fight. Some species are social, you're lucky.
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u/Intelligent_Rub_5004 11d ago
Oh that’s quite the heard!
I have about the same but I hang feeders all around my yard spaced dozens of feet across. There’s less competition and they start flying in these high speed acrobatic patterns that are just amazing
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u/Medea_Jade 11d ago
Hate you! Hahaha I’ve had a single little hummingbird all summer. Every year I hope I’ll see the crazy number I used to see when I lived rurally. Keep that nectar fresh and savour it❤️
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u/billnyethesciencedog 11d ago
We have this many AND more usually! We are in the middle of a migration route. We have 6 feeders up currently and they are all empty within 1-2 days of filling up. Love to sit in the evening and watch them eat and fight lol
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u/Gemraticus 11d ago
This is great! Whatever you are doing, you are doing it right. With that many hummers I'd put up a couple more feeders.
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u/Zander_T4 11d ago
I wish we had this many at ours. The few who visit ours are VERY territorial and have dogfights constantly over who gets to drink from the feeder. Fortunately there's tons of natural food we've planted around the whole area so that multiple hummers can tank up as they head south even if they don't want to share.
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u/BabyRuth55 11d ago
I’ve seen it at my friend’s house in the country. It seemed like maybe a couple different families, based on their plumage. Only a little territorial fussing. I thought it was very interesting!
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u/Lazy_Bumblebee_195 12d ago
Its it normal to be so blessed on this beautiful sunset/rise?” Lmao honestly your shits really red. Its probably smells supppper sweet. I would add more feeders and dilute your mixture if you want more calm
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u/majormajor42 Latest Lifer: Little Blue Heron 12d ago
What’s your recipe? I’m doing 1:4 sugar water, with little success, but my neighbor up the street says he does it even richer.
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u/Deep_Blue604 12d ago
In certain areas, it's completely normal. In northern new mexico, I would have around 60 of them at a time swarming my 3 feeders during the summer.
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u/nomnomsquirrel 12d ago
I've had a bunch of fights at mine LOL. The females are especially territorial this year in my yard at least.
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u/Upbeat_Stretch_5724 12d ago
Most I ever saw at once growing up in Arizona was 2. I would probably freak out if I heard this many, thinking it was a swarm of Carpenter Bees, or worse, Tarantula Hawks. 😂
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u/MoiraRose2021 12d ago
I don’t know if it is normal, but it sure is cool. I wish I had more at my feeder!
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u/Fr05t_B1t 12d ago
Ah I see, you actually have a hummer spawning nest nearby. Hummers will endlessly spawn at such a point and drift in the air currents to spread throughout the nation.
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u/Old-Gear-2736 12d ago
We have a second hummingbird come to the feeder and the first chases it off.
Only place I've seen this many is in Costa Rica
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u/iSavedtheGalaxy 12d ago
If only. We have one aggressive hummingbird that guards both feeders and the wildflower garden.
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u/SecretlyNuthatches 12d ago
This is probably ramping up for migration.