Migratory hummingbirds forage on diverse assemblages of flowers varying in
shape, color, and accessibility. Do hummingbirds learn to feed from flowers
by observing other hummingbirds? Learning abilities of Ruby-throated (Arch
ilochus colubris), Broad-tailed (Selasphorus platycereus), and Rufous (S. r
ufus) hummingbirds were studied in the presence or absence of a knowledgeab
le tutor. In two sequential trials hummingbirds learned to feed from artifi
cial feeders of increasing complexity. Feeders in the first trial had easy
access and were colored red at the nectar spout. In this initial trial, hum
mingbirds attempted to feed from the artificial feeder regardless of tutor
presence, but tutored birds learn to feed more quickly. Feeders in the seco
nd trial were uncolored and the nectar spout was surrounded by a long artif
icial corolla. Tutored birds again learned to feed more quickly than their
solitary counterparts. However, both untutored and tutored hummingbirds lea
rned to feed more quickly in the second trial than the first, suggesting th
at the initial task of identifying a novel feeding resource is more difficu
lt than learning how to access an identified resource.