Having viewed the habits of a few thousand Rufous Hummingbirds over the last several years, I could tell that this male was in serious distress. He was fluffed-up and appeared nearly double the size of the other males. As he was perched at the feeder, he was rocking back and forth with his head tilted up and eyes semi-closed. He continued like this for a few minutes, even when other hummers and I approached.
It started to rain heavily and he took a couple of short sips then flew away. The ruffled feathers above his right wing could have indicated an injury. His fluffed-up state indicated he was in a state of torpor and that he may have been suffering from shock and was trying to retain body heat.
If you happen to find him on your lawn or something.... To help him recover... I recommend this - - feed him some hummer food Or if you against all odds have some Pedialyte at home, that. Then put him in a shoe box with a towel & some air holes. Keep him inside where he's kept warm & can rest. The darkness will make him rest & he'll recover faster. As soon as he shows signs of recovery - Just open the lid & he'll take off. This is what I've been taught to do. The darkness promotes rest & that's the best way for him to grow strong if he's going to.
You probably know all this - but in case you don't - - I've rehabilitated many hummers this way.
I don't know if this has any bearing on your subject, but here goes.
We only have Rubies here. The males can be very vicious and continue to challenge the dominant male. One afternoon, I witnessed the dominant male resting on "his" feeder. All of a sudden, I noticed a "laser shot" coming out of nowhere. Another male Ruby flew right into the perched male stabbing him. The force of the hit knocked the perched male off the feeder, he then flew back up to the feeder and sat there all fluffed out and teetering from side to side. He stayed there for hours. Towards evening he dropped to the ground. I picked him up and placed him on a bush, hoping that he would recover during the night.
The next morning, I found him lying on the ground. He must of died during the night.
One never knows, but Mother Nature can be unforgiving at times.
Thanks for the info (as well as your as expected excellent image). I don't know that I would have interpreted the signs as you did. You obvious wealth of knowledge when it comes to these guys is pretty impressive.
Thanks for sharing.
Eric
I don't know if this has any bearing on your subject, but here goes.
We only have Rubies here. The males can be very vicious and continue to challenge the dominant male. One afternoon, I witnessed the dominant male resting on "his" feeder. All of a sudden, I noticed a "laser shot" coming out of nowhere. Another male Ruby flew right into the perched male stabbing him. The force of the hit knocked the perched male off the feeder, he then flew back up to the feeder and sat there all fluffed out and teetering from side to side. He stayed there for hours. Towards evening he dropped to the ground. I picked him up and placed him on a bush, hoping that he would recover during the night.
The next morning, I found him lying on the ground. He must of died during the night.
One never knows, but Mother Nature can be unforgiving at times.
That behavior crosses species, up to and including the human race. It's just that a hummingbird is cute and we hate to see it.
Hopefully he was just cold and wet. I used to have birds and they would get that way when they overdid their baths. Then they would puff up and sit, preserving energy.
If you happen to find him on your lawn or something.... To help him recover... I recommend this - - feed him some hummer food Or if you against all odds have some Pedialyte at home, that. Then put him in a shoe box with a towel & some air holes. Keep him inside where he's kept warm & can rest. The darkness will make him rest & he'll recover faster. As soon as he shows signs of recovery - Just open the lid & he'll take off. This is what I've been taught to do. The darkness promotes rest & that's the best way for him to grow strong if he's going to.
You probably know all this - but in case you don't - - I've rehabilitated many hummers this way.
Desert Drake wrote:
Is it possible that he hit a window? I have seen them in this sort of state after doing that.
Al
Thanks, Al. Ones I have seen that hit windows either break their necks and die or get knocked out for a few minutes then recover and fly off. I have never seen one then go to a feeder and sit with a rocking motion with their heads pointed up.
