RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD

Fatality in Metal "Shepherd's Hook" Feeder Pole

18 September 2005

Ocean Springs, Mississippi

A resident of Ocean Springs sent me these photos documenting the death of an adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. The bird was found hanging from the crook on a "shepherd's hook" feeder pole on the morning of 18 September 2005 when the host went out to refill the feeders.

The feeding station where this occurred is currently hosting swarms of hummingbirds just weeks after the passage of Hurricane Katrina. Twelve birds can be seen around a single feeder in the last photo below (several more birds on the periphery were cropped out of the original photo). I suspect that interactions with fellow hummers (chasing?) likely precipitated the sequence of events which led to the entanglement of this hummer in the crook of the feeder pole as shown. This unique cause of death, while tragic, probably isn't cause for extensive concern. I wouldn't be surprised if it's happened before, but this is the first circumstance I've heard of involving feeder poles (similar strangulation has been documented several times with certain feeders). So I feel that the precise sequence of events which would lead to this sort of entanglement are likely very rare. Hummingbird afficianados who feel it necessary to reduce even this very small risk with their own feeder poles may wish to use some material (tape, glue, wood?) to pack these "tight squeezes" on their feeder poles to prevent this from happening again. But I wouldn't encourage a call to arms over this...

The bird has been salvaged and frozen and is available to any museum that wants it. If you have a liscense to salvage bird specimens for museums, please contact me (stacy@trochilids.com) and I will get you in touch with this person.

Photos © 2005 Bill Stacy

---