Hummingbirds
I’ve read on the internet that if you have hummingbirds you should have several feeders so they don’t fight. Hummingbirds are extremely territorial. So, knowing that whatever is on the internet is true, I bought two. The feeders are placed a substantial distance apart. I added two fountains as well.
Then I sat back to watch them nicely share.
Except that’s not what happened. If there are two hummingbirds they will always go to the same feeder and then they will fight over it. Sometimes they’ll flick over to the other feeder and fight over that one. And the same goes for the fountains. They do not go to separate fountains and each have a private bath. They fight over the same fountain and leave the other empty. This is the same when there are 16 hummingbirds. All go to the same feeder and a battle ensues while the other feeder is left abandoned. There is also no smooth scheduling of time slots either. The feeder will remain empty then all at once they will come in from all directions and a mass aeronautical battle is on. Nor is there a consideration between males and females. I do notice that on occasion an all female group will settle down and all drink together but usually it is a free for all.
I see it happening at flowers as well. They attack each other endlessly.
I have come to the conclusion that hummingbirds just love to fight. These sweet tiny little birds are warriors.
I also notice that the hawk that sits in the tree doesn’t even attempt to make a snack out of them. He waits for a robin or a sparrow. Meatier and less agile.
This constant battle, as it does in other creatures, serves a purpose. It hones their skills. It makes them impossible to catch. And it gives them the acrobatic skills needed to catch bugs out of the air. It is instrumental to their survival. Despite the rantings of the internet hummingbird experts who would like them not to fight with each other this is what allows them to survive. It is what makes them fit for survival.
Hummingbirds do not hurt each other though. They are simply testing each other and pushing each other’s bounds. They likely adjust the intensity based upon their sparring partner. This is true of most, but not all animals. Owls will kill each other over territorial disputes.
If we could suppress this activity to make things more peaceful it would surely lead to their demise. It would certainly not be natural. I think it is the same with us. If we attempt to surpass our own violent natures we will only let that violence brew up and gain strength until it explodes into something terrible. There is no good end to suppressing our violent nature. But we can harness it in a healthy way. Much like the hummingbirds do. I’ll show you how.