Q: As I was filling my hummingbird feeder in early September, it occurred to me that I don't see male hummingbirds in the fall. Why is that?
A: You're right, after the third week in August we no longer see hummingbirds with the brilliant red throat feathers that earned this species its name. Male ruby-throated hummingbirds depart some weeks before adult females and juvenile birds do, and it's a good thing: Males are very territorial and often drive females and youngsters away from food sources. The males' departure frees females and their offspring to feed at flowers and feeders without being driven off, allowing them to put on weight to fuel their migratory journeys.
The hummingbirds we see in mid-to-late September are almost always females and youngsters passing through from farther north, with our summer residents already making their way to wintering sites ranging from southern Mexico to northern Panama, although some travel only as far as southern Florida. It's a good idea to keep filling hummingbird feeders to nourish any such stragglers until temperatures drop below freezing, in late October.
Wind threat
Q: Hurricanes can be devastating to humans, but how about for birds? Have they evolved ways to deal with the storms?
A: Yes, tropical storms and hurricanes are major hazards for both migratory and resident birds in their path. The autumn hurricane season occurs just as many birds are flying toward Central and South America, and the consequences are dire for any birds caught flying over the Gulf of Mexico with no place to land. Many other birds, and these include hummingbirds, warblers, orioles and other songbirds, may stop over along the Gulf Coast as the barometer drops, but even those that survive the high winds and flying debris may find their food sources have been wiped out. There's little that tiny beings, like hummingbirds, that weigh about as much as a penny, can do other than wait out the storms.
Wax tips
Q: I was admiring a small flock of cedar waxwings feeding on some berries the other day, and started to wonder how they get their red wingtips.
A: Good question, and you may be surprised to learn that waxwings are well named — their red wingtips really are made of wax. The color comes from the foods the waxwings consume, and people who study them feel that they signal a bird's readiness to mate and worthiness as a partner. Older, well-fed birds have more red-tipped wings, and such birds tend to pair up and raise more young than younger birds that have fewer red wingtips.
Sleepy bird
Q: I was delighted to see pileated woodpeckers visiting my feeders this summer, and saw one bird feeding the other. They seem very tame, and I have seen a pileated sleeping on the suet feeder. Is this unusual behavior?
