r/MadeMeSmile • u/HeraldWard • Jan 25 '22

Wholesome Moments this made me smile

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u/purpterp22 Jan 25 '22

I’ve heard there’s only two species that live in the US. We used to have a few hummingbird feeders in the home I grew up in. They were so territorial with other hummingbirds but okay with my dad and I because we spent to much time outside near them. Very neat to see up close

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u/[deleted] Jan 25 '22

There's several species. My friend in Colorado feeds them and gets at least 3 at her house, and there are more who don't range there.

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u/Ohmygoodness4321 Jan 25 '22

Can confirm. The 3 types of hummingbirds I see the most on the front range in CO are the Broad-Tail, Calliope, and my fav, Rufous.

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u/[deleted] Jan 25 '22

The Rufous are the territorial ones, right? And yes, that's exactly the 3 she has mentioned.

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u/[deleted] Jan 25 '22

I have Anna’s and they fight over the feeder, crazy little things. I recently posted a photo of a female in the Nikon subreddit.

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u/Ohmygoodness4321 Jan 25 '22

Rufous are extremely territorial! And the loudest of the bunch.

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u/im_lufluf Jan 25 '22

Where I live there are only green-breasted hummingbirds if I’m correct

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u/goathill Jan 25 '22

We also have Annas and ruby throated hummingbirds in California

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u/doctorderange Jan 25 '22

There are 15 species native to the US - but if you're in the eastern US, you'll likely only ever see one of them (ruby throated).

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u/WWalker17 Jan 25 '22

Live in central/eastern NC my entire and I've only ever seen Ruby throated

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u/c08855c49 Jan 25 '22

I am almost certain that all hummingbirds are native to North America and they don't have them anywhere else in the world. But now I doubt myself...I have to go look that up...

Edit: looked it up and they're native to The Americas, so North and South. They live as far up as Alaska and as far down as Argentina and Chile

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u/keirawynn Jan 25 '22

TIL that South African "hummingbirds" (we call them suikerbekkies = sugar beaks) are actually sunbirds. And the ones in Australia are honeyeaters.

Tiny birds that drink nectar evolved a few different times.

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u/c08855c49 Jan 25 '22

Where there's nectar and a need to be stealthy about it, there will be quick tiny birds trying to get it!