skip to main content

finches vs. hummers ..

17 years ago

I have my hummingbird feeders where I can watch them from the house & often see those red bellied finches & regular sparrows go up & actually try & suck the hummingbird fluid. Can they actually drink it & how did they discover those feeders? The hummers don't seem to be afraid of the finches though & will often feed from another feeding hole but the bigger finches tilt the feeder & some of the liquid spills out.

I have had bad luck buyimg feeders as they often will leak around the base right away (the type where the hummers can 'sit at the table while eating'!) Sure a waste of food & then I have to refill more often & try to glue around the base where the top & bottom have been put together or go buy another brand to try out. Any one else have this problem?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (2)

rachel_frome_ky
17 years ago
I recently saw House Finches land on my Oriole feeder and drink out of it, but they can't land on the tiny hummingbird feeder..even if they did, their beaks can't fit in the flowers.

I consider House Finches (they were brought here by the pet trade from the West and released illegally) a nuisance as they tend to take over the feeders and run off the Goldfinches, so I take in my BOSS tube feeder whenever they show up.
renee_2006
17 years ago
I haven't seen house finches try to use hummer feeders here. I use to have that problem too Rachel concerning the thisle feeders. I'd fill them up waiting for the goldfinches to find them. When they would I'd get to enjoy them for a few days until the house finches would take over. I got sick of that so I bough some of those upside down thisle feeders. They work great, the goldfinches have no problems using them. I also get indigo buntings, pine siskins, and carolina chickadees. But not a single house finch. I don't think they can hang upside down.
Related Discussions
Finches at feeder???
Q
Comments (6)
I have never tried to discourage the finches. For many years, when I lived in Louisiana, I got finches at my feeders early in the Spring. Where I lived, I never got hummingbirds until around July 4. Around March or April the finches gave purpose to my efforts and enabled me to haves a hummer feeder available for the occasional migrating hummingbird. If I had not hung the feeders out in time, the finches would fly to where they were supposed to be--alerting me to set up for them. I use Perky Pet feeders with long perches and the bee guards removed. I have also been rewarded with Baltimore orioles visiting and nesting. I have never had orioles respond to oriole feeders. The only problem I never solved was when late in the season honey bees invaded and clogged up the feeders in suicidal masses. I would have to take the feeders down then. I could not bear to kill honey bees. Maybe something new will come up now that I am in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
...See More
HELP: wasps vs. hummers!
Q
Comments (14)
For some reason(?) I haven't seen any yellow jackets at the hummers feeders for the last two days. I am not complaining but would like to know what's going on here? The weather droped a tiny bit but it's still in the 90s. Do they like horse manure? I did have 3 truckloads arrive but have been moving that around and haven't seen them there either. One thing I noticed with the feeders when I don't change it out when it appears empty is a full bottom of dead yellow jackets. It seems to act as a trap-they get in and can't get out. So I let one empty out and replace another one for the birds.
...See More
Hummers vs. Bees
Q
Comments (0)
Don't want to type this again. Hummers vs. Bees.
...See More
Hummers vs Wasps
Q
Comments (5)
I've found that the carpenter bees are a bother early in the season and then I get the wasps later. But those carpenter bees really are territorial and I have witnessed many a battle and chase between hummer and carpenter bee. The one thing about that bee though is that they are about the only things around when my blueberries are blooming and are good pollinators, so I'm usually happy to see them in April when the bumble bees don't bother coming up to my spot. It sortof cracks me up when they find a spot to guard their territory and will sit there, chase something that comes nearby, and then return to the same spot: But they did occassionally try out the feeder, although most times they simply perched on the rail.
...See More

Related Stories

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

REGIONAL GARDEN GUIDES Southeast Gardener's September Checklist

By Gardening with Confidence®

Fertilize strawberries, plant a tree or two and beckon hummingbirds to your Southern garden this month

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 GUIDES These Hummingbird-Attracting Native Plants May Surprise You

By Susan J Tweit

These flowers, vines and shrubs offer shelter and food supplies that keep hummingbirds around longer

FALL GARDENING 7 Reasons Not to Clean Up Your Fall Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Before you pluck and rake, consider wildlife, the health of your plants and your own right to relax

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Plants That Beat Butterfly Bush for the Wildlife Draw

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It's invasive, a nonnative and a poor insect magnet. Check out these better alternatives to butterfly bush in the garden

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Be a Citizen Scientist to Help Wildlife, Learn and Have Fun Too

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Track butterflies, study birds, capture stars ... when you aid monitoring efforts, you’re lending Mother Nature a hand

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

Sponsored