[va-bird] Re: Winter Hummingbirds

I could not disagree with this any more strongly.  Based on current
knowledge, this is flat-out, absolutely dead wrong.  How arrogant of
people to think that they can have such an influence on nature.
Hummingbirds will use feeders as a convenient source of food if present,
although in most instances, EVEN IN WINTER, hummingbirds feed on insects
as a large portion of their diet.  The fact is, when the instinct kicks
in, they will leave, regardless of whether they feeders are out or not.
If the feeder comes down, and the bird isn't ready to leave, it will
simply find an alternative source of food in the area.  Conversely, if
the feeder is up, and it's time to go, the bird is going to leave,
regardless.

In particular, Rufous Hummingbirds, which arrive on their breeding
grounds in Alaska at times before the ice breaks, are particularly well
adapted to cold weather.  Every year here in TN we have several birds
that survive throughout the winter, weathering a week or more of
sub-freezing temperatures at a time.  Others can adapt, too.  For four
consecutive years, we had a female Callipe Hummingbird here in Nashville
from October through April - the majority of the year - and I can assure
you that it survived some days that even a Massachussets resident would
have found bitterly cold.

I am a licensed hummingbird bander, and I have spent a great deal of
time combatting this very myth.  Please, please, let's let it die here,
at least as regards this list.

Chris Sloan
Nashville, TN

> -----Original Message-----
> From: va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:va-bird-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Harry & 
> Melitta Glasgow
> Sent: Monday, September 23, 2002 3:45 PM
> To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [va-bird] Winter Hummingbirds
> 
> 
> I have permission of the author of this posting on the 
> Massachusetts version of va-bird to pass it along to our 
> subscribers.  While winter in Virginia is nothing like it can 
> be in New England, the advice is still sound:
> 
> It is exciting that several western hummers are in the state, 
> but a note of 
> caution. Be sure to take your hummingbird feeders down as 
> October begins, mid 
> October AT THE LATEST if the weather remains good. A sad 
> pattern has occurred 
> all too frequently in MA, where the hosts of these hummers 
> keep waiting for 
> the birds to leave....and they don't. Before you know it, the 
> first frosts 
> have come, most of the flowers have died, insects are tough 
> to come by and 
> that hummer at your feeder is trapped there and will most 
> likely not survive. 
> Why these Selasphorus hummers don't move on while the 
> Ruby-throats do is not 
> clear. All I can say is that I have had to deal with several 
> very emotional 
> folks over the years, well meaning hummer hosts, who have had 
> to face the 
> fact that when they now take their feeders down (sometimes as 
> late as the end 
> of November and the bird is still there) chances are it will 
> not survive. It 
> has not been a pleasant situation. We are not an area like 
> the Gulf States 
> where we can expect to maintain hummer feeders outside year 
> round: it's not 
> going to work and despite your best intentions, you may in 
> fact be luring the 
> bird to it's demise..
>  Fish and Wildlife (state or national) will NOT issue any 
> permits to take 
> these birds into greenhouses. The justly famous Ruffy was/is 
> a special case 
> and she (Ruffy) illustrates the problem. Fish and Wildlife 
> folk obviously saw 
> this as a very slippery slope and are adamant about not 
> issuing anymore. I 
> can see their point, judging by Ruffy's behavior, before you 
> know it, there 
> would be a dozen Selasphorus spending winters every year in people's 
> greenhouses: a very UN-NATURAL state of affairs. After all, 
> you don't want to 
> keep Blackpolls indoors. You would rather see them migrating 
> and on their 
> way. There are folks who illegally net and keep these hummers 
> and my advice 
> is DON'T. Let the birds move on. 
> We are not sure what we are witnessing here: true natural 
> vagrancy or a 
> change in migration pattern aided by humans or a bit of both. 
> My intuition 
> says that  small numbers of Selasphorus head east then south 
> every year, but 
> weirdly get way-layed by hummingbird feeders. For some damned 
> reason, many 
> (not all) stay.
> So if you really care about the bird itself, take tons of 
> photos, and then 
> take your feeders down while the weather is still warm and 
> there are still 
> insects aplenty and lots of blooms for the little buggers to 
> nectar on en 
> route to their final winter destination. And that means pretty soon.
> 
> 
> Harry Glasgow
> aglasgow@xxxxxxx
> 
> 
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> 

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