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Jason Wessell
Beaverton, OR, United States
Bird sits at feeder most of the day and is last to leave at night Tongue protrudes from bill Other birds leave it alone
Sick behavior
It appears that an Anna’s Hummingbird has the mentioned symptoms. Is there anything that could/should be done for it?
Hummingbird seems disoriented and have not seen any other hummingbirds today.
Anna’s hummingbird sits at feeder with entire body puffed up and noticably vibrating…what to do for him?
Hi Delores, If you see a sick bird at your feeders, the best thing is to take them down and clean them. We have more information on sick birds and how to clean your feeders here. If you are particularly worried about an individual, contact your local wildlife rehabilitator before acting – handling or treating native birds requires a federal permit.
If it is cold in your area then the hummer may be trying to keep warm.
1) I had an Anna hummingbird with the same exact symptoms, and now he’s gone, think he must have passed. 2) I have two other hummers that visit, one has a (R) leg missing, and today I have another with (L) leg missing. What is going on? I’ll take the advice of cleaning all my feeders from the sick bird. I’ve taken videos & will email them to wildlife@audobonportland.org.
Well, the missing legs are probably because they got attacked by something or got injured in some other way. I don’t think any sicknesses can cause them to lose their leg.
My bird numbers have gone down dramatically this spring/summer. I have been feeding them for years and clean the feeders well. Makes me sick knowing something is amiss and I can’t figure it out! Mine look just like your fluffed out one. The feather coloring has even taken on brown splotches.
Hello, Linda! Bird populations normally fluctuate from one season to the next and from one year to the next. Researchers have determined that the number of birds in North America has declined by nearly 30% in the last 50 years (read article from Autumn 2019 Living Bird), but for feeder birds, which are doing better overall than non-feeder birds, the declines have been gradual. If you are seeing a sudden, dramatic drop in bird numbers, most likely the cause is either local or seasonal. Although it’s impossible for us to know the cause of each specific increase and decline, there are several common causes for bird population fluctuations.
• The most common cause for a dramatic drop in all bird species at a feeder is the arrival of a predator, such as a hawk (often impossible to see) or a cat.
• Habitat changes frequently affect bird numbers. If there has been any change in your neighborhood–such as trees being cut down, new houses being built, or different crops being planted on nearby fields–that could be the reason you are seeing more or less birds.
• Natural food supplies–such as pinecones, berries, seeds, and insects–fluctuate from year to year, causing birds to shift ranges to take advantage of food surpluses or to compensate for food shortages.
• Weather fluctuations often cause birds to shift ranges, especially in winter.
To see what other participants are reporting in your region this year or to compare to past seasons, visit the Explore section of our web site and check the State Summaries.
I know this thread is a couple of years old, but I have a similar one right now at my feeder. I did some research and found out that they can get some kind of fungal infection from dirty feeders or feeders with honey. I have also found out that they usually don’t get better without medication. I don’t know how long they will live with this condition.
She’s at least attempting to eat as much as possible, but I fear that won’t be the case for very long. My feeders are super clean as I get a lot of birds and have to refill them often. I think she started showing up almost a week ago. I think she’s the only one, but I’m not sure.
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