Activity at the feeder we put up at our campsite in the forest had been relatively calm. We had as many as 10 hummingbirds visiting at a time, all getting along harmoniously for the most part.
However, when this orange missile showed up, things changed rapidly. Rufous hummingbirds are well known to be the bullies of the hummingbird world and this one lived up to their reputation.
For an hour he took over the scene ensuring no other bird got near the feeder, jealously guarding it against all interlopers. From a perch 20 feet away or so, he would watch and the instant another hummingbird approached, he was off like a rocket, intercepting the other hungry birds.
It was pretty entertaining to watch. Thankfully for the broad-tailed hummingbirds, the rufous eventually lost interest and things became much quieter after that.
Leave a Reply