Hummingbirds visit your bird feeder. They enter your gardens and backyard even in your presence. It means hummingbirds don’t fear humans. But, why are hummingbirds not afraid of humans? Let’s understand the reasons right below!
Hummingbirds are not afraid of humans as they are used to coexist near bird feeders as well as places where humans live. They can remember humans, they can identify friendly and threatening situations, they can fly off quickly in case of any threats.
Do hummingbirds recognize humans?
Hummingbirds are brainy. They have a massive brain among all avians. Do you know? A hummer’s brain comprises 4.2% of its body weight. So, such a heavy and large brain impacts how hummingbirds react to their surroundings. It influences their thinking and recognition abilities like no other bird.
What does it mean? It means that they have a powerful brain that may remember people and separate individuals. They can recollect threats and the affinity a human showcases towards them. You can expect a hummingbird to recognize your face whenever it enters your property. So, YES, hummingbirds remember and recognize humans distinctively.
Are hummingbirds not afraid of humans?
Many people consider that hummingbirds aren’t scared of humans. However, others think that they are afraid of people. What’s the deal? Well, scientists have observed that hummingbirds come closer to humans than other birds. Besides, they don’t fly away when humans approach them.
Honestly, they aren’t afraid of humans to the extent of other birds. They rely on their abilities to separate loving humans who can’t pose a threat to them. Although they maintain a safe distance from humans, they come to close contact with humans. That’s why you can observe the hummers entering your backyard or gardens in your presence, unlike other birds.
5 reasons why hummingbirds aren’t afraid of humans
Hummingbirds aren’t scared of people. We have already discussed it. Now, you might be thinking, why are hummingbirds not afraid of humans? They are tiny creatures with several threats around them. Hummers should be scared of humans, after all. But, it’s the opposite. They might love humans. So, why do they trust people who can harm them? Many reasons justify their behaviors. Let’s review these points in detail!
1. Hummingbirds are used to coexist with humans and remember humans
Hummingbirds are known to always coexist with humans and near bird feeders. So, they are used to human beings naturally.
Despite being tiny creatures, hummingbirds have developed brains. They can store more information in their minds than other birds. Researchers have significant proof regarding hummingbirds identifying and remembering humans for a prolonged period. So, hummingbirds rely on their memory to separate hurtful and loving humans.
They know which person loved them and gave them food. So, hummers won’t hesitate from visiting their feeders again and again. It happens due to their sharp memory and information processing capacities. A hummer visiting your bird feeder for the first time will remember you for the rest of its life.
2. They can fly off quickly
Hummingbirds flap their wings about 60-80 times every second. They are swift birds with rapid metabolism. Do you know? Hummingbirds can fly off more rapidly than many other birds. Before you can approach them, they will likely escape from you. So, hummingbirds trust their abilities.
Hummingbirds are friendly and they can approach you in many instances. They might do the same to a hurtful person. However, they can swiftly fly off and save their lives from such humans without difficulties. They trust their flying skills which allow them to become friends with humans effortlessly.
3. You have their food sources
Hummingbirds need extensive energy sources to maintain their metabolism. They keep consuming sugar every 10-15 minutes to get the required energy. It’s a natural tendency for hummingbirds to search for nutrient-rich sources every time. They might seek easy targets to meet their high diet requirements.
Since you provide them with nourishing and easily accessible food, they are likely to visit your feeders to get the required energy. So, they become friendly with humans. Do you know? Many times, hummingbirds hover around humans who feed the birds asking them to refill the feeders when it gets empty.
4. They have become social with humans
Humans have been feeding birds for an eternity. They have been providing food to hummingbirds and other native birds for ages. So, many birds, especially hummers, have learned to live with people. They have become social with humans, largely because their food sources depend on people.
You can see many people around you providing sugar solutions to the hummers. So, they have understood that humans can help provide them with sufficient food on time. Besides, homes have a permanent supply of food for the hummers leading them to trust us and don’t get scared away.
5. You don’t pose a threat to them
Your behavior influences how others, including hummingbirds, interact with you. Since you have showcased enough love to the hummingbirds and didn’t scare them away, you don’t pose a threat to them. Your gentle activities might have helped the hummers to trust you and become friendly with you.
In contrast, they might not be friendly with someone who scares the birds away from their homes. So, these birds change their behaviors with people. They are friendly with good humans and get frightened by the hurtful people.
Can you befriend hummingbirds?
As you already know, hummingbirds are brave little souls. They come closer to humans and rely on their sharp intelligence to identify people. So, can you befriend hummingbirds? YES, you can!
Hummingbirds can identify people who love them. If a hummer is coming close to you, it means it has sensed your good intentions and doesn’t see you as a threat. Moreover, it trusts you and wants to get friendly with you. It’s completely normal to think that hummingbirds are approaching to make friends with you.
Do you know? Hummingbirds are one of the most friendly birds in the world. So, as long as you don’t scare them, they will trust you and become your friends in a short span.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds are small but intelligent creatures. They believe in their sense of identifying people with the right intentions and don’t get scared of them. Most hummingbirds are not afraid of humans and approach them without hesitation. They can even become your friends over time and remember you for life. Impressive, isn’t it?
