Bird Sounds: Ruby-throated Hummingbird

I'm in Jacksonville, FL and the hummer feeders go out about March 10. Imagine my surprise when I looked up from the garden bed and saw a pair of Downey Woodpeckers hanging on the hummer feeder having a good drink! The male has been back for several days - I think he has a sweet tooth, er beak LOL

I live in Lakewood, CA and hear them all day long. I have a feeder attached to my window with suction cups and it has a perch for them. There are 4 of them that fight for the feeder and they are very vocal about it! I have to fill it every other day. I love Hummers❤

I live in ZONE 6 Palmerton, Pennsylvania. I love my Humming birds that come back every year. Most of the hummers that are here, chatter. I have a Humming bird that sits in my 5 year old Locus Tree. He watches me as I talk and sing to him, while on my deck. He will sit there for 30 min. to an hour, looking and listening, stretching his wings and preening his feathers. The tree is pretty close to my deck. Some times I just open the door and he watches me from the tree while I'm in my house!!! I believe he is a young one. He looks black with a cream ring around his neck and has a light brown or tan breast. I love him and will miss him when he heads South, which will be about the second week in September.

Usually I put out at least 6 feeders spread throughout our back yard deck area, attracting swarms of hummingbirds. We live on Grand Lake of the Cherokees in NE Oklahoma where we've experienced heavy storms & flooding, & cooler temps this spring. We've only attracted 2 or 3 hummingbirds at a time, and a couple of oriels have shown up. What's happened to our Hummers? By now we should have at least 30 or more.

Looking at a 2019 hummingbird migration map (you can find these through an online search), it looks like there were just a few sightings of the ruby-throated hummingbird reported in your area, although they have migrated into northern states now. Normally, sources suggest, this species appears around mid-April in your area, with the males appearing about 2 or so weeks earlier than the females. Perhaps the storms have delayed migration to your area, or re-routed their path? Has the cooler temperatures and storms affected flowering/vegetation in your yard? Hummingbirds may be looking for flowers (nectar sources) that they like, in addition to the feeders that you put out. If those flowers are damaged or their bloom time delayed, that might possibly affect how many appear in your yard. Same goes for the insects that they feed upon. Nesting site availability might also affect where hummers go each year. Males can also be territorial, chasing out others on their turf. Maintaining the sugar water in the feeders is also important, but it sounds like you are experienced in keeping the food fresh and feeder clean. To attract more birds, you might keep up with the feeders and add additional flowers that hummingbirds enjoy. With this and a recovering insect population (if that was a cause), it is likely that more hummers will come in the following weeks. Good luck!

I live in North East Tennessee in the Appalachian Mountains. I put out at least 5 feeder every year, we usually have about 30 humming birds feeding out of them by the time summer hits. I could go broke feeding them LOL. I love seeing them, they use my front deck as a race track. They can empty a feeder over night no problem. They are beautiful little birds, so glad God has blessed us with their presents.

I put up hummingbird feeders in my front yard because I have a porch where I sit to view these little jewels. I have never heard their song, but I know when one is near by the sound of its wings.

I live in Central Louisiana, when should I put my hummingbird feeders up? thanks

I live in the Texas hill country, about 90 miles N.E. of Austin; I started my feeders two weeks ago, March 19.

I live in Houston, Tx. and have put out a hummingbird feeder out for the past 3 yrs. I've always seen the brown or green colored hummingbirds. But today to my excitement, I saw ruby throated hummingbird! It (they) are beautiful!! I just wish that they would build a next under my carport. They usually feed and then fly up to the tree. The birds come down many times during the day. How can you tell if they are male or female? I really enjoy them.