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Hummingbird Garden

Dumb question

17 years ago

I have been hummering 3 years now. I live in the country and each year I have had more and more hummers. Do they come back to the same place year after year??? Do the juniors from the year before remember where to come and do they bring others??? I had to put out more feeders in different areas because of some dominant hummers being aggressive over feeders. Just curious...

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Comments (4)

rembetika
17 years ago
well, if you're dumb then i'm dumb too.. i've been wondering the same thing...!
kristin_williams
17 years ago
Yes, yes, and no. It has been proven with banded birds that the same individuals will often return to the very same yard and feeder from the previous summer. They have an absolutely remarkable ability to navigate and find their way back to the exact same spot.

Unfortunately, it's believed that as many as half of the birds don't make it back from one year to the next. Migration is hazardous, especially for males who tend to come back earlier, when conditions can be less hospitable. However, if your bird manages to survive from one year to the next, you could potentially have the same bird come back for several years in a row!

The remarkable thing about "juniors" is that they make their first migration alone, and yet somehow know how to find their way south to wintering grounds. Like the parents, they are able to find their way back north to the same vicinity where they were born. When returning north, it's uncertain whether they reverse their southward flight plan, or whether they find a different route. I don't think anyone knows if all birds return to the same area, or if it's just some of them.

Since they're solitary migrants, I don't think they bring others with them. They all find their own way, as far as anyone knows.
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rthummer
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks, Kristin!! I did not know they were solitary migrants, either. That is new to me. I have been researching into what to plant and into gardening for the little hummers, and this is Very interesting. Thanks.
yardenman
17 years ago
I am convinced that I have the same hummers 2-3 years in a row. Some hold their feet different when they feed, some have unique bends to their tails. One of the feeders is just outside a window, and I get a pretty good look at them.

When I don't see the lax-legged male or the bendy-tail female after a couple of years, I feel sad, but there always seem to be about the same number around, so that's good (I think I am seeing generations of the same family). I even know (and protect) the cedar tree they seem to like to nest in. It is taller than when I first saw a hummer nest in it years ago, but there is usually a nest in it each year.

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