Hummers

A co-worker said he heard that hummers wouldn't leave if you feed them and get caught in the winter months.

Seems I read about hummingbirds coming and leaving all the time on here.

Is there any truth that they hang around a food source too long and don't make it out of harms way?

Here is a quote from this site: http://www.hummingbird​s.net/index.html
When to Take Down the Feeder
Hummingbirds will not delay migration if a feeder is present; they are driven by forces more powerful than hunger. If you live in the southeastern U.S., leaving a feeder up might attract one of the western hummers that visit the region in small numbers every winter. The Pacific coast of the U.S. (and extreme southwestern Canada) has a population of non-migratory Anna's Hummingbirds; if a feeder is maintained over the winter, hummers will visit it year-round. Some other locations near the Mexican border also have winter populations of several hummingbird species. See the About Hummingbirds section for more information.

Good read,,, thanks Jerry

We had a juvenile Ruby-throated Hummingbird frequenting the botanical garden I go to all the time when there was 14" of snow on the ground around Christmas a few years ago. They do not put feeders up. We guessed it was a late bloomer and missed it's opportunity to migrate South or was an early arrival.

I think many people are under the impression Hummingbirds only eat nectar which isn't the case...they eat insects for protein...nectar is just an energy boost for them.

I leave my feeders up year-round "just in case".

I'll pass on the info, thanks

For the first time I had a hummingbird overwinter here lasy year, kept making new juice, making sure to bring the feeder in at night so it wouldn't freeze, then back in the morning.

The anna's here in Vancouver stay here year round. Now that it's getting colder, the 2 anna's have been frequent visitors, maybe because the flowers have started to dry up. Today is the 1st time the juvenile female stayed for almost the whole day, perching beside the feeder. The adult female is visits from time to time but does not stay for long.

jodelak wrote in post #15114721
The anna's here in Vancouver stay here year round. Now that it's getting colder, the 2 anna's have been frequent visitors, maybe because the flowers have started to dry up. Today is the 1st time the juvenile female stayed for almost the whole day, perching beside the feeder. The adult female is visits from time to time but does not stay for long.

Yep warmer in the concrete city We are in a valley, so when it gets socked in, it gets damp and cold.

If you had a hamburger out in 10F weather with snow, but also had a hamburger waiting for you inside your house at a mild 65F, which would you choose?

Hummingbirds are simple, they will move to the shortest distance needed to find food, while also avoiding energy sapping cold (more calories are needed to stay warm). So if you have cold winter, they are going to stay as long as they possibly can before being forced to move in order to stay energy efficient.

Here in the PNW like Jodelak said, we tend to see Anna's over wintering because of our mild winter weather.