How do you tell the difference between a male and female hummingbird? I'm sure someone has asked/answered that question on here before but when I tried looking, hundreds of threads came up......so I just thought I'd ask and get the answer faster than looking through all those posts. TIA
Von
Male / Female Hummingbird
Hi Von, The mature male has the ruby red throat.
Immature males have dark spots on the throat which will later turn to the ruby feathers, they also have white tail tips which will turn a darker color later.
Females have white throats and white tail tips. Females are also larger than the males usually with a longer bill.
This message was edited Aug 18, 2008 5:53 AM
Thanks for the good detailed info. pelletory. I've lived here almost 20 yrs and I've never noticed hummingbirds around here until recently. Even though I love plants and flowers I don't have any in the yard.
This year I got a Fushia hanging basket for Mother's Day..... that's when I saw one. I then found DG and began looking around and reading up on plants that hummingbirds like. I then bought a single hummingbird feeder. Now, there 2 HB that fight over it when they can get to it for a red wasper and a yellow jacket (or honey bee) that are constantly there. We're actually not sure if there are only 2 or if only 2 are coming to it at a time. We've tried watching the trees around us to see if there are more, but we only see 2 at a time. Also, they are drinking the whole thing in a day. It is about an inch and a half wide and about 4 inches long. One has a real fat belly.....could we be feeding them too much or could one be a pregnant female?
Von
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Hi Von, You take the highest number of hummers you see at 1 time and times it by 4 and that roughly how many you have. So you probably have 8 around.
When you see them looking portly it usually means they'll be migrating soon.
My hummers favorite plant this year was Monarda "Jacob Cline". Even though theres only 1 single petal hanging from the whole plant they still go there first to check it out.
The second favorite plant has been a Lobelia (Cardinal Flower).
Pelle
Pelle,
After I told you that we saw 2 hummers, that next day we saw 3 and that evening I saw at least 4-5 going over top of some trees. But this morning, man, it was like a feeding frenzy....I feel there were at least 4 or 5 zipping by the porch, like they were starved to death, each running the other off....and within an hour an inch of nectar was gone (single feeder).
We haven't seen any with a red throat yet....but we've seen some with emerald green feathers on their back and one or more with white on the tail feathers.
Oh....and last night was the first time I've heard one "chatter." They don't seem to pay any attention to me or my husband sitting in the swing. But, last night I had the dog on the porch and he was sitting underneath the feeder and one came up and threw a fit, like he was trying to run the dog away. Then this morning 2 was right in front of the feeder chattering away.
Von
Von
Thats great Von! I love their chatter. :-)