Last updated on July 19th, 2022 at 10:28 am
It may come as a surprise if you set up a hummingbird feeder just to find that only males come to use it. Why could this be?
Only male hummingbirds are coming to your feeder because it is early in the mating season, and the males have arrived early to scout out their territory. The females will arrive later as the breeding season develops. Note that territorial males can be particularly aggressive at feeders.
This Is Why Only Male Hummingbirds Are Coming to Your Feeder
If you’re seeing only male hummingbirds at your feeder, the chances are that it’s early in the breeding season, and only the males have returned from winter migration territory.
Typically, the males arrive first and scout out a territory, and then the females follow.
Male hummingbirds can be very aggressive during this period, so it’s common to see fights between hummingbirds during this time.
Or also bullying behaviors from the more dominant hummingbirds.
Recognizing Male Hummingbirds
You can recognize a male hummingbird by how it looks and by its behavior. Each species has its own look, but the males tend to be more colorful in general.
Males are also slightly smaller than females, though the difference is very small.
For example, the male Ruby-throated hummingbird has a bright red throat, whereas the female has a dull coloration.
Many male hummingbirds have a patch of brightly colored feathers like this on their throat, known as a gorget.
They can be purple, orange, blue, pink, or a combination of colors. Often, these feathers shimmer in the sunlight.
Male hummingbirds of many species share a common courtship pattern, flying in a U-shaped path and chattering in front of a perched female hummingbird.
Sometimes the female will join in with the courtship dance, but often she stays perched.
If you see a hummingbird near a nest, it is almost definitely a female.
Females alone care for the young and will scare away any males that come near because their brightly colored feathers can attract predators.
How To Keep Hummingbirds From Fighting at the Feeder
When male hummingbirds scout out territory, they can become quite aggressive upon discovering a reliable food source.
Therefore, you can expect that there will be some fighting between males at your feeder during the start of the mating season.
But thankfully, there are things you can do to mediate these conflicts.
Add More Feeders
The best thing you can do to calm fights between male hummingbirds is to add more feeders.
Make sure that the feeders are at least 4 – 6 feet from each other.
And hopefully, the most dominant hummingbird will be satisfied occupying just one of the feeders, leaving the other feeders to the rest of the birds.
Remove Perches
Another thing you can do to reduce fighting between hummingbirds at the feeder is to remove perches and install a feeder with ports that require hovering.
That way, the birds won’t be able to stand guard at the feeder as easily, and they’ll be less likely to keep other birds from accessing the nectar.
Use a Feeder With More Ports
You can also satiate the hummingbirds in your yard by providing a large feeder with plenty of nectar and ports for all the birds.
For example, the Sewanta Hummingbird Feeders (available on Amazon.com) have ten ports each, enough so that many hummingbirds can feed simultaneously from the same feeder.
Protect the Birds From Predators
Having predators nearby can create stress for hummingbirds.
This makes them more likely to become aggressive and start attacking each other simply because their fight or flight response has been triggered.
If you have the option of reducing predator presence by keeping cats indoors, this could be an effective way to create more peace at your hummingbird feeders.
How To Recognize Aggression in Hummingbirds
Sometimes the energetic behavior of hummingbirds can be difficult to interpret.
How do you know whether the birds are truly fighting with each other versus playing or courting?
Territorial Warning Signs
Territorial hummingbirds will use fast, loud noises to tell other birds that territory has been claimed.
The sound will grow faster and louder as another bird gets closer, and it is often accompanied by other gestures, like posturing.
Territorial posturing includes flaring the gorget to show off its bright colors, raising the feathers on the crown and wings, and pointing the beak.
Diving and Chasing
If an intruder does not respond to a hummingbird’s territorial warning signs, it will turn to aggressive flight patterns to assert its territory.
The hummingbird will hover in front of the intruder, fly high in the sky, and dive down to face the intruder again, arriving with a sudden jolt and a chirp.
Hummingbirds then chase away unwanted intruders that do not respond to their aggressive diving displays.
While they chase, they’ll call after the intruder with a series of angry chirping sounds.
Physical Fights
If a hummingbird cannot scare or chase away an intruder in its territory, it may turn to physical force to keep the bird at bay.
They can use their talons and bills as weapons, ramming into the birds as if holding spears, which can result in serious injuries and even the death of many birds.
Why Are There Only Female Hummingbirds at Your Feeder?
There are only female hummingbirds at your feeder because the feeder is close to a nest, and females fend off males near the nest.
It’s also possible that juvenile males are visiting the feeder, but they are mistaken for females because they lack the colorful gorget of adult males.
Common Hummingbird Nesting Locations
Although nesting patterns vary somewhat between hummingbird species, most hummingbirds build their nests 10’ – 40’ high in deciduous trees.
Like oak, birch, and poplar, though they also sometimes choose conifer trees.
They typically prefer the edges of forests, meadows, and the areas along the edge of a stream.
Recognizing a Hummingbird Nest
If you suspect you’ve placed a feeder near a hummingbird nest, you might go looking for it for confirmation.
You’ll want to look for a cup about two inches across made of soft plant material and spider silk, usually attached to a thin tree branch.
Just make sure that you don’t touch the nest, eggs, or nestlings.