Hummingbirds: Pretty little bullies

Yes, they are adorable. Put out a feeder with some sugar water, and you’re bound to attract hummingbirds, those little bumblebee-sized birds with needle nose beaks and amazing flight skills.

Turns out they’ve got tempers to boot. Hummingbird aggression is apparently a problem. The teeny tantrum-throwers can become big bullies.

Male hummingbirds establish territories and fight off competitors for nectar and water, a seemingly ongoing battle at times. The little creatures have a high metabolism and must feed the beast constantly, contributing to the aggression and the need for a plentiful food supply.

The females, meanwhile, not only search for food but also keep busy fending off males. They prefer their showy mates — the males have more colorful and bright plumage — keep away from the nest so as not to alert predators to the babies.

Current advice in the hummingbird fan community suggests creating multiple feeding zones, some spaced far away from others, so that a bully can’t protect all of them. Then, it’s too difficult to ward off competition and all will wind up settling in.

With persistent bullies, try to observe where they perch — usually in sight of the feeder. It might help to cut that perch to deny the bully his favorite spot.

A lot of hummingbird sound and movement can attract more hummingbirds to the feeders. So, sometimes a a bit of hummingbird fighting can make your yard more popular.