How do you stop Hummingbirds from fighting over feeders
Hummers can come to rely on a hummingbird feeder so can become territorial as more hummers come to feed, thus fighting will commence daily.
How to stop hummingbirds fighting over the feeders is to add a new feeder or more. What this will do is calm hummers down knowing nectar is readily available, thus not panic. Make distance between feeders to isolate hummers, while hiding new feeders to prevent territorial birds defending them all.
Fighting at the hummingbird feeder may not be something you can stop in a day, with a few days or more needed to calm the hummers down.
Why hummingbirds fight over feeders is their need to protect their crucial nectar, in what is seen as other birds coming in and using it all up, all while their feeder is being overwhelmed by hungry, noisy hummers.
Calm the situation down by adding an additional hummingbird feeder you can buy that is identical to your original one - or make it a new design to try something different.
To use a hummingbird feeder with a perch can invite bully hummers or multiple hummers to defend their space - while most other birds cannot feed at all. Whereby a feeder made without perches can force hummers to hover only.
If hummingbirds cannot perch to defend their feeder, then it will be made harder for them to fight as they dig themselves in.
Best type of hummingbird feeder to stop the in-fighting will be a perch-less feeder; though it must always hang with as many port wells available for many hummingbirds to feed at one time - and that is if you are swamped with hummers.
You can get multiple hummingbirds at one feeder with no additional feeder needed, if there's up to sixteen or so port wells with no perches available.
Add additional feeder
One quick fix to stop hummingbirds fighting over the feeders is to add additional feeders so there's distance created between hummers as they feed.
Single hummingbird feeder is perfectly acceptable for most people with no additional expense needed. With fighting hummingbirds the only way you can see them get along, and therefore stop the squabbling, is with a new feeder.
Distance between this second or even third hummingbird feeder can vary, with the possibility of changing position until fighting stops all together, or it all quiets down.
How many hummingbird feeders do you need can depend on how busy you yard is with hummingbirds.
Likely number will be two in total, for busier backyards with more room available can see a third hummingbird feeder hanging up.
Hummingbirds argue in large numbers as they desperately try to get at the much needed nectar before it runs dry, thus to hang up more nectar may keep them calm knowing nectar is plentiful as more port wells open up.
Never allow the one or two feeders to run dry, as hummers may be able to stay quiet if its always kept full - as a dry feeder can cause panic in hummers.
Hummingbirds come to rely on hummingbird feeders and can remember where the feeders are, to which it can be a bother for these birds to then go out in the wild in search of nectar wild flowers.
Create allowable distance
If you have decided to try and stop hummingbirds fighting over the feeder, then I can assume you have gone through the trouble of investing in an additional hummingbird feeder.
Now I will say before anything else make sure where you hang the new hummingbird feeder in the yard follows the strict rule 4-6 feet off the ground - with a shaded spot favored over too much sunshine that will spoil the nectar.
How far apart the hummingbird feeder should be from the original feeder can depend on your backyard layout, though to begin with a 4-6 feet distance will be a good start.
With a 4-6 feet distance I won't expect it to be permanent, as trouble hummingbirds may continue to fight at such a close range.
If hummingbirds are seen to fight over the feeders still, they must be too close together.
You'd then have to take down, uproot or lift up the second hummingbird feeder wherever you may have it - while situating it up to 15 feet or so... or more if the yard is big enough.
Never position additional hummingbird feeders out of sight at this time, as it may not be spotted if its so new. In time additional feeders may need to be hidden as to isolate the bully hummingbirds who won't stop their antics.
Hide extra feeder if fighting persists
Now that you've added a second or maybe a third hummingbird feeder within sight of each other; if hummers continue to be fighting over the feeder - then its time to hide additional feeders.
What you are looking for this time is to contain the nuisance hummingbirds as they scare off others - or if only the one hummingbird is seen to guard the feeder for itself.
Allow this one or few hummingbirds to stay at the feeder the fighting seems to be taking place, then slowly hide away new feeders.
You cannot hide the two or three hummingbird feeders around a cover or on the side of a building at this time until hummers get used to where its heading - because an out of sight feeder may not be seen at all.
Over the next few days you can locate the additional feeders further and further away, until you end up out of sight of the troublesome hummingbird feeder.
Hopefully the hummingbirds who are scared away or any new hummers that arrive in this time, will ignore the bullies while making use of these isolated feeders.
Bully hummers can defend nearby feeders as well as their own, though to see them guard more feeders hidden away is unlikely to happen.
Hang the hummingbird feeders where you see fit, with an additional bird feeder pole may be needed, or why not hang the hummingbird feeder off a tree branch - if its remains open to the elements or else hummers won't use it.
Similarly, remember a hummingbird feeder doesn't always have to hang, if there's no new hanging opportunities in your yard.
You can use a window hummingbird feeder stuck on the glass, have fun with a handheld hummingbird feeder - or simply balance a hummingbird feeder upright on a table or outdoor furniture.
Swap Hummingbird feeder type
Few hummingbirds will be seen to defend the only hummingbird feeder in use, or else it will be just the one bully hummer scaring off them all.
Noticeable behavior of a territorial hummingbird on a feeder is it will be facing outwards, making a lot of noise while chasing other hummingbirds once in a while.
What this single hummingbird will be standing on is the many perches mounted to hummingbird feeder. And what you must know about hummingbird feeders is perches can only assist bullies, or make the fighting worse.
You'd then have to make sure your additional feeder or third option is made with no perches at all.
What this will do is force hummingbirds to only hover as they feed, thus no hummingbird can perch; to which this can lead to any of the hummers defending their feeder if there's a place to linger throughout the day.
How to choose a hummingbird feeder can begin with a perch type, though to be sure you may want to go for the non perch hummingbird feeders - providing you can offer room for birds to hover over feeder.
How do you stop hummingbirds from fight over feeders is to restrict the use of this feeder to nuisance hummers.
No perches may not stop in-fighting all together, but its certainly a start in your quest to prevent all the squabbling.
To summarize
Its a common sight to see multiple hummingbirds fighting for their place on the feeder, which is fair as hummers need to feed in order to stay healthy.
Hummers can be forced to calm down at feeders if you only provided a larger feeder with many more perches in place, and therefore more port wells opened up
If not, you can add an additional hummingbird feeder to provide more feeding areas.
A second feeder can see the hummers quiet down, which is a tail tale sign the new feeder has worked.
If things are a little noisy still then a third hummingbird feeder can be introduced. Where you place a second or third feeder can make a difference, with a minimum 4 to 6 feet distance needed - to disperse territorial hummers over a wider area.
Lonesome hummingbirds can be seen to guard a feeder, to which these new feeders can keep him or her isolated.
However, fighting can continue at the feeders if too close together, or if the feeders are within sight of each other.
You'd then have to take the second or even the third hummingbird feeder to situate around the corner. Territorial hummingbirds can then concentrate on their own, while new visitors can happily share.
Don't hide additional feeders right away as time will be needed to let the hummers know the feeders are still available, but gradually moving away.
In the end hummingbirds fighting over a feeder could be doing so while sitting on their perch; to use a hummingbird feeder without perches can prevent a single bully or multiple hummingbirds squabbling as they perch.
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