Good point, Nancy. Here is some more info from Arizona on hummingbird feeders.
How the Presence of Feeders Affects the Use of Local Floral Resources by Hummingbirds: A Case Study from Southern Arizona FreeRachel E. McCaffrey, Susan M. Wethington The Condor: Ornithological Applications, 110:786–791, https://doi.org/10.1525/cond.2008.8621
AbstractFor hummingbirds, artificial feeders can serve as an alternative food source to nectar from flowering plants. The presence of feeders may lead to increases in local hummingbird populations and decreases in the use of native plants. We examined how the presence of feeders influenced the rate of hummingbird visits to a changing array of flowering plants in southeastern Arizona. Feeder visits represented approximately 59% of all visits during our yearlong study, but were less common in times of high floral abundance. The ratio of feeder visits to total visits was negatively related to overall floral abundance and to the abundance of the hummingbird-favored plant, Calliandra californica. The regular use of feeders by hummingbirds, which increases during periods of low floral availability, may have important implications for pollinator-plant relationships by reducing plant reproductive output. Additionally, this inverse relationship may affect estimates of hummingbird abundance and must be considered when analyzing data from studies that use feeders to attract hummingbirds.
On Friday 3 October, 2025 at 10:55:37 am GMT-5, N Rock <4rockbird...> wrote:
I remember, many moons ago when I lived in Connecticut, that a local, well known ecologist/birder was adamant about people not feeding birds in winter. He maintained that chickadees eat gypsy moth eggs, but that they passed over this (somewhat) natural food for sunflower seeds. Thus contributing to the spread of the quite detrimental gypsy moths.More food for thought.
Nancy RockShell Knob, MO
On Fri, Oct 3, 2025, 10:43 AM Jeffrey Short <bashman...> wrote:
I observe our hummers use our feeders also go to our flowers, and sometimes seem to “hawk” small insects.. We think the feeders provide needed nourishment on their migration journeys in the Spring and Fall when there is not much other sources available.
I wonder if hummers using feeders in arid environments are shirking their ecological duties.
Would Ramsey Canyon (AZ) have any data on their feeders interfering with pollination--and with their a diverse array of species? RC may be a special case; are there other hummer-pollinator studies from the western USA, or from Central America?
I’ve often heard disparaging remarks about seed feeders creating dependencies but have not seen any data showing that. The extra food source would seem to help with survival rates, especially during long-term weather disruptions. Anyone have some links?
As an aside, I noticed honey bees attending to “flowers” on the little spikes of my yard grasses that produce seeds in the late summer --probably for the pollen.
Jeff Short
From: The Birds of Arkansas Discussion List [mailto:<ARBIRD-L...>] On Behalf Of Jerry Davis
Sent: Thursday, October 02, 2025 1:09 PM
To: <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Re: Hummers
Thank you for your note and references. The research is replete about not needing color to attract hummingbirds and the feeders that are usually red does that with hummingbirds able to see red from 1/4 mile away. My hummingbird feeders are hanging from the eves of my house on each side of the bay window that I use to observe birds at my feeders in the back yard. Hummingbirds spend their time working the flowers in the backyard and only come to the feeders for a short drink about every 20 to 30 minutes. I do not see that they are remiss in their duties of pollination or seeking small insects in the flowers.
Your note reminds us of the situation in Costa Rica. The Costa Rica ecology police said that feeders were keeping hummingbirds from doing their ecological duty of flower pollination. The small businesses used multiple feeders for their customers to observe the different hummingbirds and this not only attracted normal business but also bird guides using this opportunity to show their birders many species of hummingbirds in one spot. These birders also economically supported the business with customer purchases. The Costa Rica ecology Police had these businesses remove their multiple feeders and restricted it to one of two feeders. There seems to be no valid research that proves the Ecology Police were right about hummingbirds neglecting their ecological duties because of the feeders.
On our 2 trips to Ecuador, our guide Lelis Navarrete that co-wrote the Fieldbook of the Birds of Ecuador said that there was no scientific justification for what the Costa Rica’s ecology police did.
From my daily observations of my hummingbirds over the past 27 years I would say that my feeders are not keeping the hummingbirds from doing their ecological duties of feeding on and pollinating plants.
Your call for more research on this subject is noted and maybe additional research will be done. I personally think that the feeders have a benefit in hummingbird survival and fat buildup for migration. People with feeders know that their birds know their address and if the feeders are not out in time, they will let you know that you are remiss in meeting their needs and timing.
Jerry Wayne Davis
Hot Springs, AR
From: Ragupathy Kannan
Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2025 10:22 A
To: <ARBIRD-L...>
Subject: Re: Hummers
I have often wondered, especially when I see hummers swarming around feeders in Costa Rica and Ecuador like pigs at the trough all day long, what long-term effects these feeders have on hummingbirds and their food plants. Recently, a local high school student and I did a small study and submitted a paper reporting that artificial colors are not necessary to attract hummingbirds. Here is our last paragraph:
"This study should also open the conversation on the utility of hummingbird feeders generally. Feeders are known to have influenced the evolution of beak sizes and the geographic ranges of hummingbirds (Greig et al. 2017, Alexandre et al. 2025) and the pollination of locally occurring wildflowers (McCaffrey and Wethington 2008). We urge ecologists to further investigate the overall effects of hummingbird feeders on the birds and the ecosystems they inhabit."
Just some food for thought....
Kannan
Ft. Smith
On Saturday 13 September, 2025 at 08:20:09 am GMT-5, Kay Hodnett <sallyportk...> wrote:
I still have a male (bit of a bully) and a female and a third undetermined. How do I put heater in feeder?
