skip to main content

Hummingbird Garden

hummers scared away by other birds?

18 years ago

I'd like to know whether hummers are easily scared away by other birds.

I had great success last year with hummers coming to plants and feeders in the little backyard to my townhouse (30' x 30'). I'm thinking about putting up a birdfeeder for other birds (either seeds or suet or both), but I don't want to scare the hummers away.

The woodpeckers arrived in the adjacent woods about two weeks ago and I'd like to put up a suet feeder (which I already own) to see some up close. I could of course put up the suet feeder now for the woodpeckers and then take it down when the hummers arrive. I'm trying to decide whether to also buy one of those suet/seed combo feeder to attract a variety of birds for my cats to watch out the patio door. But I don't want to scare away my hummers. With such a small backyard perhaps it's best to stay focused and not try to do everything.

I plan to overgrow my little backyard and front porch this year with trumpet vine, red salvia, and red petunias. (Do hummers like petunias?)

Mary Ann

Comments (9)

jenny_in_se_pa
18 years ago
I think many of us have watched our hummers chase other birds away. That needlepoint beak of theirs, the ability to fly backwards and hover, and their overall agressiveness, helps to make up for their small size! LOL

Also - I have heard that hummers will feed from red petunias. I know I was trying to find some myself last year. I have watched mine feed from closed or closing morning glories too.
penny1947
18 years ago
Mary Joe,
They do feed from petunias but not a lot but they will use them if a better source isn't available. I would be careful where you plant a trumpet creeper as it will grow into the siding of your house and the roots can grow under a foundation. Most people don't plant them too close to a house. I would suggest a coral honeysuckle which is a native honeysuckle that blooms longer and isn't invasisive like trumpet creeper is. If you can find Salvia coccinea 'Lady in Red' or 'Coral Nymph' the hummers will love you for it. Also try 'Jacob's Cline' Monarda which is a perennial. It won't bloom as long as the salvia but the hummers love it too.

Penny
Related Discussions
will other birds scare off Hummers?
Q
Comments (8)
I have a hummingbird feeder hanging from my kitchen window, and a chianti sunflower that I planted just below it finally became big enough to be near the feeder. I have a group of 50-60 Lesser Goldfinches that terrorize my sunflowers each day about 1:30pm, as they get out of the heat of the day (105-110 degrees is a bit toasty for the little guys! ) Well, the hummingbirds don't like the Goldfinches one bit, and they will sit and "guard" the feeder as though the goldfinches want anything to do with the feeder. Then, on occasion, the hummingbirds will swoop over the goldfinches, or hover in front of them, until they flap off. I saw that for the first time just a couple weeks ago - HILARIOUS!!! Yup, they'll go after ANY BIRD near their feeder. --Gene.
...See More
Scared hummer in greenhouse
Q
Comments (5)
I used to get hummers in my house all the time when we had the feeder too close to the deck door. THey would fly up into our second story famil room window and try to get out. I would have to get the ladder and wait for them to sit, exhausted, on the window sill. I would put a dish towel over them and take them outside. THey get almost paralyzed when they are tired/scared. I would take them out side, hold them in my hand and they would wake up and fly away. I haven't had any in a while, but I don't miss the drama.
...See More
Bees keeping hummers away from feeders?
Q
Comments (5)
Are they honey bees or yellow jackets? We have problems with yellow jackets this time of year but during the spring we had a 'swarm' of bees for at least a week. They eventually left but we found if we put out a weaker mix of nectar the bees lost interest. This time of year we use the bee guards to keep the yellow jackets out of the feeders. The guards also prevents the surprise of YJ's popping out of the tubes when the Hummers go to feed! :) You might try adding 1-2 more feeders.........make a stronger nectar mix for the bees in one feeder and hang two extra feeders elsewhere in the yard, filled with a regular mix for the Hummers We have Anna's Hummingbirds year round so we have no fewer than 6-8 feeders to tend to. Come this winter we'll probably have 30 hummers to feed. Below is our favorite feeder, and in the winter we add the large sizes. Here is a link that might be useful: Best feeder
...See More
CDs for scaring away birds?
Q
Comments (2)
At first I thought you were going to place speakers and were asking for musical advice on the best songs to scare away the birds! Our local Home Depot uses screeching bird sounds to scare off birds - I don't think that works! It sounds like the baking tin method. I bet it will work fine for a while, until the birds get used to it but it would be worth a shot if you have a bunch of extra CDs laying around. A row cover is probably your best bet though.
...See More
magallaher
Original Author
18 years ago
Thanks for the suggestion about coral honeysuckle. When I said trumpet vine I meant "cardinal climber" -- is that the same thing? I'll have to plant the cardinal climber away from the house then. Will it re-seed on its own and take over my garden in zone 6? Maybe it's cold enough up here that I don't have to worry about that.

From what I can tell either of these will grow from seed direct sown outdoors. Is that right? Or is it better to buy a plant from the nursery?

I'll be on the lookout for Salvia "Lady in Red" and "Coral Nymph." We've got a few nurseries around here with excellent selections (too much!). I'll look for 'Jacob's Cline' Monarda too. Most of my planting will be in containers.

Mary Ann
penny1947
18 years ago
Mary ann
Here is a link to pictures of {{gwi:977607}} which is an invasive perennial that will spread by underground runners

here is a picture of
which is an annual vine that probably will not reseed here in our zone.

penny
nikkidaytonohio
18 years ago
When I had my hummer feeders up, I had them RIGHT NEXT to the regualr seed feeder and the hummers happily ate as the other birds flew to and from the seed feeder. Worry not. They will be fine.

Nikki
nygirl30
18 years ago
Lol i'll tell you a little story..I have regular bird feeder's out in my back yard and i have alot of chickadee's that are always there..My hummingbird feeder's are on the side of my home and not even near the bird feeder's..Dont you know that the hummer's would and will fly right up to my chickadee's and scare them off..Hummer's are not afraid at all in my backyard.. :o)
toyon
18 years ago
There are several cultivars of Trumpet Creeper that aren't invasive. Look up Campsis on the net, and you will probaby come across a few. The hybrid call 'Madame Galen'is the only one I can think of right now.
tracey_nj6
18 years ago
I have a suet feeder atop a pole, which unfortunately is frequented by starlings. It's about 20' away from the hummer feeder. One day, there were about 4 starlings on the feeder, noisier than I'd ever heard, and my hummer fluttered over to check out the commotion. She hovered for about 30 seconds, then went back over to the feeder. I thought that was the funniest thing I'd ever seen, birdwise...
christy2828
18 years ago
I put some time in trying to find a trumpet creeper. From what I found the Campsis is the very invasive kind of vine. I bought the Bignonia Capreolata or Dragon Lady Crossvine, and it is not supposed to be as invasive. Native to my state of Maryland, an evergreen, and a hummer favorite. Good luck!! Check the link I listed below!

Here is a link that might be useful: Paghat.com

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

FUN HOUZZ Survey Says: We’re Scared of Being Home Alone — and Spiders

By Mitchell Parker

A new Houzz survey reveals that most of us get spooked in an empty house. Find out what’s causing the heebie-jeebies

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Northern Cardinals in the Snow, and Other Red Birds

By Habitat Network

Brilliant crimson feathers make these friends stand out in a crowd

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Invite Entertaining Hummingbirds Into Your Garden

By Habitat Network

Hummingbirds — unique to the Americas — zip through open landscapes seasonally or year-round. Here’s how to attract them

GARDENING FOR BIRDS What to Know About Birds Nesting in Your Yard

By Mitchell Parker

Learn how to observe, record data and help ornithologists with NestWatch’s citizen science project understand bird trends

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Bring on the Birds: Natural Habitat Ideas for Gardens of All Sizes

Provide nesting, watering and perching spots inspired by the Costa Rican jungle and watch the birds flock on over

EARTH DAY How to Help Your Town’s Beneficial Birds and Bugs

By Annie Thornton

Make a habitat using local materials to provide a home to the creatures that help our gardens

LIFE How Your Landscaping Can Keep Burglars Away

Prevent home break-ins with strategic landscaping and good practices instead of menacing — and maybe less effective — measures

GARDENING FOR BIRDS Wild Birds Transform a Woman’s Garden and Life

By Mary Jo Bowling

How Sharon Sorenson created a wildlife haven and became the Bird Lady of Southern Indiana

GARDENING FOR BIRDS Backyard Birds: How to Identify Two Common Woodpeckers

By Habitat Network

Downy and hairy woodpeckers have similar coloration and behavior. But there are two big differences that separate them

GARDENING FOR BIRDS Backyard Birds: Meet Some Clever and Curious Jays

By Habitat Network

Boisterous jays provide plenty of backyard bird-watching in winter. Here’s how to identify all the varieties and welcome them into your yard

Sponsored

More Discussions

Do you see what I see?

1