How to Judge the Number of Hummingbirds Feeding

For every one bird you see at your feeder, there may be five more.

Due to hummingbirds' fast movements and tendency to bounce quickly from flower to feeder, the best you can do is estimate the number of hummingbirds regularly visiting your feeder. "Anna's Hummingbirds forage 14 percent of the day in the nonbreeding season but only 8 percent of the day while breeding..." according to ornithologist Frank B. Gill, author of "Ornithology." That means this common species spends only 2 to 3.5 hours a day feeding. In addition, the more aggressive hummingbird species will dominate the feeder until full before allowing other species in. You might see only one or two species at your feeder at a given time, despite multiple species living in the area.

Things You'll Need

• Camera
• Calculator

Instructions

1. Determine when you tend to see the most hummingbirds at your feeder. Hummingbirds often visit feeders in the early morning and before sunset.

2. Sit near your feeder with camera ready during these prime feeding times. Remain quiet and calm so as not the scare the birds.

3. Take photos of the birds at your feeder.

4. View the photos and count how many birds you see. Multiply the number you count by 6. Lanny Chambers of Hummingbirds.net recommends this as the best way to estimate the number of hummingbirds frequenting your feeder. If you count 15 birds at one time, 90 hummingbirds may be visiting your feeder throughout the day.

References

• "Ornithology"; Frank B. Gill; 1995
• "Birds of North America"; Fred J. Alsop III; 2001
• Hummingbirds.net: FAQs
• The Effect of Floral Abundance on Feeder Censuses of Hummingbird Populations; "The Condor"; David W. Inouye, William A. Calder and Nickolas M. Waser; 1991