Winter Hummingbird Information

I've had longstanding questions about the Anna's hummingbirds which overwinter here in the Pacific Northwest (and along much of the Pacific coast). How dependent are they on our feeders? By feeding them in the winter, are we making them unnaturally dependent on our feeders? When other food sources are less available, as they are in the winter, would it be wise to feed hummers a commercial solution of nectar which provides added nutrients, or should we continue to feed a solution of one part sugar and four parts water, as we do the rest of the year? I consulted an expert, Sheri Williamson, author of the recently published Peterson's Guide to Hummingbirds of North America. Sheri's response is included here in its entirety, because her information is so valuable. I encourage you to visit her webpage, the link for which is included at the end of her message.

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Thanks for your questions, Terrie. Though there's little doubt about the role played by winter feeding and gardens with winter-blooming exotic plants in allowing Anna's Hummingbirds to expand into previously inhospitable areas over the last several decades, to say that they become "unnaturally" dependent on feeders is a bit of an oversimplification. Our activities have caused similar range expansions in many wild species, whether that was our intention or not. Like other naturally resourceful and adaptable wild species, hummingbirds will take advantage of whatever resources, natural or artificial, best meet their needs. For Anna's and the people who love them, the net result is positive; there are probably more Anna's now than in 1492, and more people than ever can enjoy hummingbird year-round. In other cases, range and population changes related to human activities have had devastating consequences for other species sharing these ecosystems: cowbirds spreading across the entire continent, garbage gulls eating tern and plover chicks, deer literally eating songbirds out of house and home. In this case, the long-term effects are likely to be far more subtle. The main species of concern is the Rufous, which is believed to be in decline, but it's doubtful that competition with Anna's is the sole or even main cause. Though Anna's are no doubt heavily dependent on feeders in the northern part of their range, I would be hesitant to recommend against year-round hummingbird feeding in these areas without compelling evidence of negative ecological impacts.

I strongly discourage the use of commercial feeder solutions for wild, free-living hummingbirds. The nutritional value of the most commonly available products is negligible and offset by the addition of unnatural dyes and/or preservatives. Complete diets made for captive hummingbirds are prohibitively expensive, highly perishable, and not as palatable as plain sugar water. On the other hand, there's a compelling case to be made for increasing the sugar concentration of

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