Hummingbird defending his feeder from a Praying Mantis

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RWLee99 Mission Viejo, CA(Zone 10a) Sep 19, 2012

The Mantis didn't leave, but was there the next day until the feeder was taken in to be refilled.

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beckygardener (Becky) in Sebastian, FL(Zone 10a) Sep 19, 2012

RWLee99 - Praying mantis have been known to attack and kill hummingbirds. Anytime I find a praying mantis in my yard, I remove it and release it away from my yard.

Warning ... the photos & video are a bit graphic if you love the little birds:

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/learn/hummingbirds/mantis-hummer.php?sc=migrate

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep6vmpcUQR8

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RWLee99 Mission Viejo, CA(Zone 10a) Sep 20, 2012

Wow, I had no idea that the two are enemies. I did see the mantis make one attempt to strike a bird. But did not know what the results could have been. Thanks for the info.

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gazergirl Mandeville, LA(Zone 8b) Sep 30, 2012

Thank you for the warning. I have never seen a Praying Mantis near a feeder, but I will be on the watch now.

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Chillybean (Zone 5a) Oct 01, 2012

Well, this explains why we had a praying mantis on our platform feeder. This was our first year to feed hummingbirds. In the future, we'll just do as Becky mentioned above.

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