Territory

[andrew22]

Are hummingbirds territorial with in their own species or with all? I had just one, and now today I noticed two YAY!! BUT now they are chasing each all over ther yard!! My question is actually will more than one species of hummingbird share the same territory? or no?

THANKS

[Steve Backes]

Andrew,

For the most part, they are territorial with all species. They won't necessarily share a territory but you can get them to shrink their territories so that a yard can support multiple territories. I've landscaped my yard to create as many territories as possible by offering areas for feeding that are not viewable from other areas in the yard. I offer clumps of flowers/feeders in areas where a bird can slip in and feed unnoticed by th e dominant bird.

My 1/3 acre yard hosted at least 20 hummingbirds last winter. I offered at least 20 feeders. the number of birds was so high in part due to the freeze. Other food sources were limited so they learned to get along. Feeders were placed near major clumps of flowers and the birds learned that they only needed a feeder and that clump of flowers. I was amazed at how small of a territory they accepted. In some cases, birds would sit ten feet apart so long as neither bird approached the other birds flowers or feeder.

My recommendation is to offer a feeder for each bird and consider the "territory" with their placement. Place them on opposite sides of the house and behind hedges, trees. or shrubs. Hidden in corners of the yard may encourage a bird with a territory in a neighboring yard to slip into your yard to feed.

Steve