Humming Bird Isn't Humming Anymore...

[washelkhntr]

I have seen alot of stuff, but this tops the cake.

Came home tonight, opened the blinds and there he was.  I had to pry his feet open to get him off.  He had a Kung-foo death grip on the feeder.

[Caretaker]

That's a new one, love my hummies around my house too.

[Michelle_Nelson]

To much sugar in the water.  Had a diabetic reaction! 

[bowhunterforever]

Thats crazy, i bet you never see that again.

[PolarBear]

I find birds all the time like that on my hot wire but never one at the feeder.

[fishermanjoe]

classic mix up of sugar water and antifreeze 

[BIGMIKE]

That is way too cool.

[runamuk]

poor guy ...you should get him mounted 

[GoldTip]

Looking at his beak, appears he's got feathers on it?  Wondering if he was fighting with another bird and sustained some sort of injury?

[runamuk]

Looking at his beak, appears he's got feathers on it?  Wondering if he was fighting with another bird and sustained some sort of injury?

could have been a humming bird duel to the death    they are nasty little territorial birds...

[GoldTip]

Looking at his beak, appears he's got feathers on it?  Wondering if he was fighting with another bird and sustained some sort of injury?

could have been a humming bird duel to the death    they are nasty little territorial birds...

Thats what I was thinking, I've stood and watched'em fight more than once, no reason to think a beak to the chest couldn't have punctured a lung or something.

[NRA4LIFE]

OK, this is just bizzarro.  Looks like a Rufous.  Last Friday night we looked up at our feeder outside our living room and there was a female rufous slumped over onto the top of the feeder.  Upon closer inspection, she was dead with an abvious horrible wound to her neck.  Must have gotten jabbed by one of the other birds.  

Just coincidentally, we have 2 or 3 pairs of Black Chins hanging around this year (usually they are gone by early spring).  The birds in general seem to be much more aggresive toward one another too.  Usually we have just the Rufous by this time of year so I'm wondering if it is the 2 different species going after eachother.  

[Quackwhacker]

I wonder what hummingbird taste like?

[carpsniperg2]

lol i agree what do you put in that sugar water remind me not to ever drink the water at your house

[Dmanmastertracker]

 I've never seen hummer's actually kill each other before, I suppose it is possible, but a more likely death is by hornet. One sting does them in, it happens pretty often since they are always competing. It is odd though, the feather's.

[PacificNWhunter]

Those are great pictures! Must have been tired from all that food.

[steen]

Looks like a fledgling just from the nest, it still has fuzzy feathers or it is a female.  It is chubby like a baby.

[rasbo]

bat syndrome,terrible thing..

[Alchase]

At night Hummers go into a dormancy with a very low heart rate type of sleep. If they didn't they would litorally starve to death every night because the normal heartrate is so fast. If it was really cold the night before it can take a while for them to warm up enough to even move. If you know where they roost you can catch them at night.
What time was that pick taken? was it icy the night before?

[whitey]

Bless His little heart!He still hanging on.
Hit the REV limiter 1 to many times..

[Tom Reichner]

 
Just coincidentally, we have 2 or 3 pairs of Black Chins hanging around this year (usually they are gone by early spring).  The birds in general seem to be much more aggresive toward one another too.  Usually we have just the Rufous by this time of year so I'm wondering if it is the 2 different species going after eachother.  

if you're getting more birds staying longer, perhaps you should consider getting a couple more feeders.  I know some folks that let me photograph the hummers at their place, and they have all 3 species common to eastern WA (Black chinned, Calliope, & Rufous).  There are about 25 to 30 hummers in all at their place, and I've never noticed any fighting or dead birds.  They have about 10 feeders that they keep fresh sugar water in at all times, so the birds aren't competing for the same areas.