For the Birds: Hummers in Fall Mode

Male Rufus Hummingbird passing through

By Christine Southwick

Gone are the lazy days of summer where two or three hummingbirds could sip at the feeder at the same time.

Male Anna’s Hummingbirds are aggressively guarding their chosen feeders again, after being mostly low-key during the hot summer, letting females and juvies drink a while before running them off.

Male Anna's Hummingbird by Craig Kerns
Note how only part of gorget is reflecting
that gorgeous rose color

This is a sign that the season is really changing toward fall—maybe even a time to think about how you are going to keep hummingbird feeders liquid in the winter. 

Cold weather feeding is more important than feeding them during the summer - but summer feeding is so fun to watch.

We have Anna’s Hummingbirds all year long - they have adapted to our many flowering plants, tiny bugs, and our usually mild winters. 

The males are now claiming feeders for their winter feeding, only letting others feed if there are two or more feeders a distance apart so that male has to fly back and forth to defend them all, thus allowing the females to sneak in while he is at the other feeder.

Female Rufus by Craig Kerns
rusty looking sides with white-ish neck margin

You might be seeing (and hearing) Rufus Hummingbirds as they pass through on their way southward. 

Their tails make kind of a toy-boat vibration noise, whereas the Anna’s are detected by their buzzy song.

Male Rufus are dramatic with their rufus sides, bronze gorget and black-tipped tail feathers. 

They are often not seen as they only stop for a quick power drink then fly on. 

The female and juvies are less dramatic with only a little rufus on their sides and will often stay at a good feeder for a week or so, stocking up on needed fuel before continuing to travel southward.

Female Anna's by Craig Kerns

Right now it may be hard to tell the Anna’s females from the Rufus females. 

Here’s what I do. First, I watch my feeders as much as possible. I look for rusty sides - the Anna’s only have grayish green sides. 

 I also look for a thin white margin around their necks - Anna’s females don’t have that margin - their necks are gray green like most of their body.

Hummingbirds have iridescent feathers (mostly in their gorgets) which reflect the sun. 

Gorgets can boldly shine or look black depending on where you are in relation to sunlight bouncing off those feathers. 

That’s why a courting male will face the female with the sun on his throat so that she can see his gorgeousness.

Read previous For The Birds articles here