Do hummingbirds eat mosquitoes? One of the most well-known facts about hummingbirds is that they feed primarily on nectar, but are mosquitoes occasionally on the menu?
Those who would like to know if hummingbirds are one of the creatures that feast on mosquitoes have come to the right place! Keep reading to find the answer to the question, “Can a hummingbird eat mosquitoes?”.
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Do Hummingbirds Eat Mosquitoes
Mosquitos are ubiquitous during summer months, and hummingbirds can be locally common in many areas. Therefore, you may be curious about how the two creatures interact with one another. Do hummingbirds eat mosquitoes during their encounters?
Yes, hummingbirds are known to eat mosquitoes from time to time. Mosquitoes do not make up a significant portion of a hummingbird’s diet, but these insects make for a tasty and easy snack when they cross a hummingbird’s path.
How Do Hummingbirds Capture Mosquitoes?
If you’ve ever tried to swat a flying mosquito, then you know how elusive these insects can be. How do hummingbirds eat mosquitoes when they’ve got such thin bills at their disposal?
Though mosquitoes have some good moves to evade humans, they are no match for hummingbirds. Few species can compare to the quickness and maneuverability of hummingbirds.
Hummers pluck mosquitoes in mid-air when they encounter these creatures. When one detects a mosquito, it will swiftly navigate to the insect and precisely grab it out of the air with its bill.
After securing the prize, a hummingbird will gobble the insect down.
What Else Do Hummingbirds Eat?
If mosquitoes don’t make up a large portion of a hummingbird’s diet, then what food do these birds typically eat?
The primary component of a hummingbird’s diet is nectar. Nectar is made of a collection of molecules that give it a sweet taste. This taste is irresistible to pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.
Plants make nectar to attract pollinators and reproduce. Reproduction happens when a pollinator visits flowers and inadvertently picks up pollen. Pollen is then transferred to other plants of the same species when a pollinator visits them, ensuring the plant’s reproduction.
Hummingbirds happily feed from flowers like petunias, cardinal flowers, columbine, and more. In addition to nectar, hummingbirds will supplement their diet with insects to give them nutrients that they could not receive from nectar.
Do Hummingbirds Eat Insects Aside From Mosquitoes?
We know that hummingbirds eat mosquitoes, but what insects do hummingbirds eat when they aren’t after those pesky blood-suckers?
Hummingbirds are known to supplement their diets with insects when they want a break from nectar. This is a great way for these birds to round out their diets with nutrients that they otherwise couldn’t receive from nectar. These nutrients help to fuel their migratory journeys.
Here are the most common insects that find themselves on the menu for hummingbirds:
- Gnats
- Midges
- Mosquitos
- Spiders
- Small bees
- Small caterpillars
Hummingbirds may consume an assortment of insects, but these tiny birds are restricted to what insects they can eat due to their small gape. They don’t tend to eat larger insects like beetles and wasps.
In addition to nectar and insects, some may lap up tree sap.
Do Hummingbirds Eat Mosquitoes When They’re Babies?
Baby hummingbirds are completely helpless when they hatch from their eggs, meaning they are entirely dependent on receiving care from their mothers. Males do not help with raising young.
As you might expect, baby hummingbirds eat the same foods that adults consume. A mother delivers food to her young throughout the day.
Babies eat a regurgitated mixture of nectar and insects from their mothers for the first few weeks of their lives. Mosquitoes may certainly be on the menu if they are locally abundant.
Baby hummingbirds begin receiving whole insects to eat once they are a few weeks old. Young hummers would not be able to develop properly if they consumed a diet of strictly nectar. Insects like mosquitoes provide them with all of the protein and nutrients that they need to flourish.
Hummingbird and Mosquito Range
As we consider the possibility of hummingbirds eating mosquitos, let’s take a look at the ranges of these animals to determine if they would commonly encounter one another in their natural environments.
Hummingbird Distribution
Let’s begin with hummingbirds. This group of birds includes over 350 species.
Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas, but they have an extensive distribution in the New World. You can find hummingbirds from Alaska to the southern tip of South America. The largest concentration of hummingbirds is found in Central and South America.
Mosquito Distribution
While most of us indiscriminately kill mosquitos on sight, few consider the impressive diversity of mosquitoes.
The mosquito family includes over 3,500 different species. These insects have a larger distribution than hummingbirds, as they are distributed throughout much of the world.
Mosquitoes thrive in areas that consistently remain above 50°F during certain times of the year, however, these insects don’t do well in excessively hot environments.
Hummingbirds also thrive in areas that are not too cold nor too hot, so mosquitoes and hummingbirds certainly overlap.
Can Hummingbirds Decrease Mosquito Populations In My Neighborhood?
Now that you know hummingbirds eat mosquitos, you may wonder if hummingbirds can put a dent in the populations of these insects. Can hummingbirds significantly decrease mosquito populations in a neighborhood?
While hummingbirds can eat several mosquitos every day, it is unlikely that these birds will put much of a dent in local mosquito populations.
If you have a large concentration of hummers in your yard, these birds may be able to make a noticeable impact on mosquito numbers. However, in most instances, hummingbirds will have little to no impact on mosquito numbers.
What Species Can Reduce Mosquito Numbers In My Yard?
Much like bluebirds, hummingbirds can’t do much to impact mosquito populations, there are some species that can help.
Nightjars are a species that could certainly reduce mosquito numbers. Species like Common Nighthawks and Eastern Whip-poor-wills fly around at night and indiscriminately capture insects like mosquitoes with their massive gapes.
Swallows are another group of birds that are adept at capturing flying insects like mosquitoes. Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows, Purple Martins and more can all get the job done.
Though not birds, bats are another great species to welcome to your yard. These flying mammals love to eat mosquitoes, and a single bat may consume several hundred mosquitoes in one night.
Putting up bat houses around your property is a great way to encourage these creatures to stick around.
Do Mosquitoes Eat Hummingbirds?
We’ve established that it is not unprecedented for hummingbirds to eat mosquitoes, but what happens when the tables are turned? Will mosquitoes suck blood from a hummingbird?
Yes, mosquitoes will “eat” hummingbirds. Of course, these insects are not consuming the entirety of a hummingbird, but they will suck the blood from a hummingbird at rest if given the chance.
Conclusion – Do Hummingbirds Eat Mosquitoes?
You likely didn’t know the answer to the question, “Do hummingbirds eat mosquitoes?” before reading this article. Luckily, you’ve now learned that hummingbirds happily consume mosquitoes. These birds will chase down these pesky insects in mid-air and eat them.
Though hummingbirds like to eat mosquitoes, these flying pests do not make up a large portion of a hummingbird’s diet. Hummingbirds primarily consume nectar, with insects only comprising a small portion of an adult hummer’s diet.
Baby hummingbirds may be fed more mosquitoes than adults eat because they require protein to grow.
If you hope that hummingbirds will reduce mosquito populations in your neighborhood, think again. While hummingbirds enjoy eating these creatures, they don’t eat nearly enough to make a dent in mosquito populations.