|
|
Post by mafsef on Jul 27, 2010 13:26:04 GMT -5
On a recent evening I watched a "humming bird?' feeding from plants in my garden, it flew for about 15 minutes visiting every plant (pink somethings). However I'm not sure it was a humming bird although it exhibited all the attributes; it was light brown with darker brown lateral stripes across it's back (maybe six or seven) and no more than one and a half inches long, it may have been a lighter color underneath but I couldn't be sure. There were no bright colors visible at all. It was not put off by my presence but skipped around so quickly that a good reliable view was difficult to get. Would somebody please offer an identification because at first sight I thought it was some type of insect. Thanks.  |
|
|
|
Post by Steve Backes on Jul 29, 2010 6:40:25 GMT -5
mafsef, It sounds like you're describing a sphinx moth. There are many different species in Florida and I wouldn't be able to guess which one you saw. There are a few photos of sphinx moths posted to the Hummingbird Moth/Sphinx Moth board at floridahummingbirds.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=moths. The lateral stripes and size are strong indicators of it being a moth and not a bird. Steve |
|
|
|
Post by scfl47 on Jan 12, 2011 18:14:39 GMT -5
do different breeds of hummingbird exhibit different behaviors? I have one or two female
rthb which flutter above my feeders to drink....but i have a male, not sure what species
that just sits on the edge of the feeder...i think its a black chinned.
|
|
|
|
Post by Joe M on Jan 13, 2011 9:18:48 GMT -5
The easy answer is 'yes and no'! Different species have evolved over time (eons) with differing bill shapes which allows them access to differently shaped necter producing plants, for example.
In your question involving behavior while feeding from a feeder (which is not a natural feeding environment), it is probably more related to how well they are accustomed to the particular feeder.
Feeding while 'hovering' is considered normal. Perched feeding is learned behavior. Whether a bird perches or not is of little consequence, but it does show that he or she has done it before and is comfortable feeding that way. In some cases I have seen some poorly designed perching feeders that make it difficult for the bird to actually insert the bill let alone feed while perched (go figure).
Joe M.
Lakeland
|
|
|
|
Post by scfl47 on Jan 14, 2011 8:31:51 GMT -5
thank you Joe M.
i found out that it is a male rthb that is sitting on the edge of my feeder
the females or juv. are flying above.....at least for now!
|
|
