I wanted to add to my posting of 12/1/24.  This course is fabulous.  I'm enjoying Kevin's engaging presentation style.  The photos and videos are spectacular.  Most of all, I am learning so much.  I've been inspired to search the internet for more information.  I just researched the Olivaceous thorn bill as I could hardly believe that this bird is a hummingbird.  It is indeed.  So interesting to see it hop around on the ground for low growing flowers! I look forward to every lesson and will be so sad when this course ends.   I'm planning to sign up for the world of woodpeckers next! Thanks Cornell for offering such a wide variety of courses. Life Long Learner, Donna

I have offered sugar nectar for the ruby-throated humming birds for decades, here in Western New York.  Once I found a nest in a low hanging hemlock branch and was able to watch the two nestling develop.  That was many years ago and I was not photographing nature as much then.  Still, I will never forget that experience. A few years ago, a friend told me she had a rufous visiting her feeder tube in the fall.  This is a rare sighting for Western New York, so I went over to have a look.  The humming bird was much more sensitive to close watching than our beloved ruby throats. I few years ago, I planted bee balm and Northern Cardinal flowers.  Both are favorite fueling up places for our ruby. This summer,  I jut happened to have my camera handy to take these photos.  I was thrilled, of course, to capture these images, a first for me!      

Yes, I get to see Allen's and Rufous hummingbirds. We set up a bird bath out of a pet drinking fountain, and during the summer the hummingbirds use it all the time!

I have Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds that nest in the woods near me and come to my feeders in the summer.  Ruby-throats are the only hummingbird common in Michigan, but I have seen a few other species while visiting Arizona.  I would love to be able to travel to see more of the variety that you are sharing in this course.   It was fascinating to learn how the iridescence works.

What do they feed their babies/young?

In Ontario we have the Ruby throated hummingbird. I have been lucky to see many hummingbird species both in southern Arizona and Costa Rica.  This course is inspiring me to go and see more hummingbirds.  

I used to see hummingbirds all the time growing up in Arizona. My grandma hung feeders and also grew some trumpet flowers that they really loved. I unfortunately have no idea which species they may have been. We get about six species here in Nebraska, though they zoom by so quickly, I can barely spot them, much less get my camera ready. Hoping once spring hits I can camp them out a bit and get some photos!

We (my husband and I) have been lucky enough to see Ruby-throated Hummingbirds both in our backyard (we have 2 feeders during the spring/summer/fall, and in the woods in CT. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (female) pictured here was seen in a CT State Park (Aug 10, 2024), where she stayed resting for a very long time and allowed many pictures. I think we left before she did.

When we moved to our new house, that first summer was the first time I saw a hummingbird “in the wild” (as in not on a documentary!). It was feeding from these red flowers called African Flag (chasmanthe floribunda) in the front yard. So, I decided to out up some hummingbird feeders the next year, but they didn’t stop at the feeders much, no matter how often I cleaned them and topped them up. My husband found out about this organization, Gardening for Wildlife, and they recommended local plants that hummingbirds love, especially our local Ruby-throated ones! We have cardinal flowers, rose of Sharon, wild bergamot, columbine, and they even come to the lilac trees in the spring! So now we make sure to plant and propagate those and keep a fountain running in the summer to help our hummer friends!

Yes! We get mainly Black-chinned Hummingbirds where we live in the Western US, but we get some Rufous and Calliope during the summer. I also love seeing the Anna's during the winter too! I had the chance to go to Costa Rica, where I saw a lot of hummingbirds and a larger representation from the different groups discussed in the lesson. My favorite was the Green-breasted Mango - she looked huge at first compared to the hummers I'm used to seeing! I didn't get a picture of her, but below the Anna's are a couple others, I believe the Stripe-tailed Hummer and Lesser Violetear (who were very loud!).

I have feeders on my balcony. Only one type of hummingbird visits but some seem smaller so youngsters I think.

Yes we have a hummingbird feeder at home where we see Anna’s hummingbirds.  I often see them in the neighborhoods of Seattle. My strongest memory of a hummingbird is the one I saw hovering outside the 14th floor window of a high-rise office building! There were no plants or balcony, so I am not sure why it was outside the window.

I have seen three species of hummingbirds in my life.  The Rufous and Ruby-throated hummingbirds were features or talked about but you have not talked about the Black-chinned hummingbird yet.  I live in NJ so the Ruby-throat I see quite often in the summer at my feeders.  However, the Rufous is considered a rare bird for the State and I have seen it on twice in different years.  I also bird in LA often and this year I took a detour to Texas to see the Golden Cheek warbler and as a bonus I saw the Black Chinned hummingbird.   My wife and I really enjoy hummingbirds, and we are headed out to Arizona May 2025 where I hope to pick up 9 new species if all goes well.  This is one of the main reasons I am taking this class.  I will be brushing up on my Western Warblers with your other course.  Just love learning about birds.  Thanks and keep the courses coming.

There are at least 3 Ruby throated hummingbirds that visit my backyard everyday. This female is feeding off my Red Cardinal Flower plant. There is  also a hummingbird feeder they like to feed from. When I take it down to change the water, there is always one hovering around the feeder station looking for it. I think they are all females. One of them chased a Black Capped Chickadee away for a couple days in a row, very aggressively . The hummingbird chased it from the feeder and through the trees. Also, I watched them twirling around each other and flying here and there for quite sometime. It was pretty amazing. They also hovered above my head for a while. They do chase each other away from the feeder and plant. That’s about it. I live in Massachusetts.

We have a summer home in Winter Park, CO (elevation 9,000 ft) so we get to see lots of summer nesters and migrating hummingbirds.  We have four species that visit our feeders in Winter Park: Rufous, Calliope, Black-chinned and Broad-tailed.  Here are two pictures of an adult male Rufous hummingbird and a picture of an adult male Calliope.  (In order from top to bottom: Rufous, Calliope, Rufous).

In 2009 my wife and I were lucky enough to have a holiday in Ecuador. We managed to get a picture of a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird on the nest. Of course there were many other pictures.

Yes!  We have placed feeders all around, and are treated to many Ruby-throated (learned from this course) males & females all day here in North Carolina.  I am sad when they migrate South for the winter.  When I lived in Hawaii, I put out my feeders and waited and waited for them to come.  I finally looked it up, and found that they don't live in Hawaii!

I was on vacation throughout the Carribean a few years ago and wish I would have had this class because we so many hummingbirds feeding on the tropical slowest.

I have hummingbirds in New Mexico that I think are called Black Chins” They are very happy until the Rufus birds show up and try to scare them away. I think a saw two fledglings at my feeder together with a larger hummer. They were much smaller than the adults unless they were a different type.

In Asheville, NC, I have only seen ruby-throated hummingbirds at my 2 nectar feeders. I have seen one become pretty aggressive against others wanting so have a spot at one of the feeders. It will actually stop feeding & dart at them chasing them away. I've seen as many as 7 feeding at one time, but now, Aug 4th see only 1 or 2. I'm concerned for them and wonder what's going on that I don't see more at the feeders all the time, esp because many of the flowers in my yard have wilted. It gets mid 60s at night, up to mid 80s during the day. We get really really heavy downpours that can last an hour or maybe a bit more than that, wondering if that knocks their nests down, or forces them to the ground and maybe eaten by  predator like a cat (less likely in these heavy rains) or a box turtle I see living in the yard.....

I live in NE Ohio so the Ruby Throat  is common at my feeders from mid April to the end of September.  

Yes. Florida has ruby throat hummingbirds that regularly come to my feeders and nectar plants. We also discovered hummingbird moths that were coming to our bushes, though haven't seen them in a while. My husband has literally had a hummingbird within inches of his face a few times over the years.

Yes I’ve seen many hummingbirds, mostly Anna’s and Rufous, they feed on our window in summer and in winter from a hanging feeder with a light attached to prevent freezing, we can only put that up when the bears are hibernating. I live in North Vancouver BC Canada

I have only found one nest ever…but oh boy this find made my day…perhaps my year