Flowers First
Hummingbirds compete for nectar to fuel their high energy needs. Flower nectar is a simple fluid composed mainly of water and sugar for energy. Like these females (their rounded and white-tipped tail feathers are the telling field marks), most birds prefer a flower's natural nectar over what we give them in our feeders. In fall, hummers visit feeders more often as blooms start to dwindle. They get most of their protein by eating small insects for a short time each day.

"One female hummer (or juvenile) at my Black and Blue Salvia at 8:45 a.m. She didn't come by my feeder."

Wayne K. in Minneapolis, Minnesota (September 11, 2013)

Two female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
Photo: Anne Greene