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Season of Hummingbirds A SEASON OF WESTERN HUMMINGBIRDS (As we see it )- By Ned and Gigi Spring season is always welcome in the northern rockies, and the hummingbird breeding season is short and sweet in western Montana. We begin by hanging feeders on all sides of the house, and new flowering plants will soon be available. Depending upon the elevation and microclimates, our season begins usually in mid-APRIL with the colorful MALES ARRIVING first, traveling from the West. Patrolling the feeder areas and making themselves known is the priority for now. Boisterous battles are underway for claiming food and breeding territories. Soon the awaited females begin to trickle through the area kicking up the action another notch, and a grand attempt is made by the flashy males to be noticed while on strategic perches. These hormone revved up males are posturing, “This is BREEDING territory”! MAY is the ACTIVE month with BREEDING displays performed by the super-charged up males. The competition is fierce with males conducting high aerial dives and compact buzzy left-to-right shuttle moves to “woo” perching females. These keen eyed females appear to closely observe the skill and strategic maneuvers of the most talented males, and most likely select the meanest one to mate with. One may realize just how serious this competition is when witnessing a hummer-body slam to the ground! The FEEDER ACTIVITY DIMINISHES in JUNE due to female nesting duties, egg production and incubation, which requires a protein diet rich in insects. Males are now dispersing in search of new territories for other breeding opportunities, which totally dominates their behavior, neglecting all fatherly house hold duties. The low-key and well fed nestlings, stretching the spidersilk bound elasticized nest, begin to FLEDGE IN JULY, and leave the nest a size actually larger than that of their emaciated mother. These youngsters fledge fully-grown eager to make a life for themselves. Just weeks old they can be recognized by the laggard wing motion. The yo-yo bobbing and probing at all types of colorful flowers indicates the search for small insects, and sucrose in the now abundant nectar producing blossoms. These curiously innocent juveniles will also investigate man-made objects like nail/screw heads, etc., completely passing by a feeder, totally oblivious to the offered food source of sugar-water in our feeders. This dawdling behavior of juvenile exploration, unlike the swift and precise adult movements, is captivating to observe. Also in JULY, hummers from the great Northwest begin the sweeping MIGRATION, with adult males initially dispersing and heading southward. By AUGUST the more confident male juveniles are quite proud of themselves, and are often observed attempting instinctual partial breeding displays. Both young males and females are using vocalizations and body language to take charge and guard a feeder. It is possible that some of these YOUNG BIRDS will return next spring, brawling, screaming, and ripping around the house corners to the feeder for a quick drink. Most young will be on their own to find their way to Central Mexico for winter, since most all female adults have since departed. MID SEPTEMBER through the next MARCH will find us HUMMERLESS in Montana. One lone feeder will remain out for the possible wondering Annas or Costas hummingbird from the west coast, both of which have been documented as vagrants in western Montana in recent years. * * * * The 2005 hummingbird breeding/migration season and banding study in the fifth year of our Montana research has proved to be of intriguing interest in the Helena and surrounding area. Toll Free 1-866-933-8789 Watch this page for frequent updates and new events. To schedule your special event call or E-mail as early as possible. |
