Hummer Musings
Content and Photos by Jaya Ramanathan
Sep 2025

As the curtain closes on this year’s Hummingbird show, I watch them even more attentively. I cannot resist photographing them, even if I have captured the very same poses before. Their imminent departure to southern winter habitats, inspires me to write about them.

Black-chinned Hummingbird Female (Left), Ruby-throated Hummingbird Male (Right)

Two types of Hummingbirds are seen in our area, Black-chinned, that reside here, except in winter, and Ruby-throated, typically seen more during Spring and Fall migration. Males are readily identified by their gorget. Females can be recognized by the fact that Black-chinned have longer wings that reach their tail tip or beyond, while Ruby-throated have longer tails, that extend beyond their wing tips.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Share Feeder (Left), and Skirmish (Right)

Hummingbirds frequent nectar feeders. They are territorial, and skirmish over feeder control. Once we witnessed an almost two-minute skirmish, between Ruby male and female. It appeared female had won, as she sipped after, but both perched nearby, peacefully. Later only Male was near feeder, and he even chased the female away from Turk’s Cap. So, seeing half a dozen, feeding simultaneously, is rare. Wasp, Bee, House Finch, and Baltimore Oriole, compete, sometimes. Surprisingly, Hummers were not scared, and continued feeding, when Red-shouldered Hawk, perched nearby.

Black-chinned Hummingbird Female sips at Baby Sage (Left), Ruby-throated Hummingbird Female sips at Turk’s Cap (Right)

Hummingbirds relish nectar of tubular flowers. Performing a ballet, they sip from one flower, then another, and repeat at the next plant. They enjoy Lantanas, Trumpet Vine, Coral and Desert Honeysuckle, Autumn and Baby Sage, Turk’s Cap, Skullcap, Verbena, and Chicklet Orange Esperanza. Pollinators prefer pale-colored more than red flowers, so Hummingbirds know that red blooms have more nectar, explaining why they prefer red feeders.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Female flies toward Lantana (Left), Black-chinned Hummingbird Male with Purple Gorget flies toward Desert Honeysuckle (Right)

One distinguishing characteristic of Hummingbirds is iridescence. Black-chinned males sport a black or purple gorget. Ruby-throated males display a mix or one of brown, orange, red, and gold. The actual color depends on viewing angle, and light on their gorget. Ruby male can vary its gorget color, just by moving its head a little, so we await its show in rapt anticipation.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Male displays varied gorget colors

Hummingbirds are artistic and acrobatic. They fly fast, high and low, in elaborate arcs. They swing in front of other birds, that they consider as rivals. They hover gracefully in mid-air, sometimes right next to us, flapping their wings, moving in all directions. Males perform high jumps during courtship. They dance near female, while she nonchalantly sips at feeder.

Black-chinned Hummingbird Female scratches itself with its foot (Left), spreads out wings and tail (Right)

Observing Hummingbirds, at rest, is meditative. They nestle among Oak leaves, showcasing how tiny they are. They look all around, for competitors. On spotting one, they zip with a buzz, sometimes inches from us, and chase away the rival. They constantly move, showing different poses. Sometimes they perch and flutter. They groom themselves with their beak, or scratch with their tiny foot. They spread out their gorgeous tail and wings. They puff up. They even sip water from falling rain.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Male nestles in Gnarly Oak (Left), Black-chinned Hummingbird Female Puffs up (Right)

Hummingbirds constantly enthrall us by their tiny size, dazzling colors, playful antics, beautiful dances, and resilient migration journeys. They beckon us to experience nesting, fledging of young, and large-scale congregation before migration flights.They have seeded our garden with many memorable moments.

Credits: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Merlin Bird ID, All About Birds, eBird, Audubon.