.--On July 13, 1958, four Rufous Hummingbirds, Selasphorus rufus, were
observed feeding on the sap of the English walnut, ]uglans regia L. The sap was
exuding from holes made by the feeding activity of the Yellow-bellied (Red-
naped) Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis. This activity was observed in a
clearing at the site of an abandoned sawmill, approximately two miles northeast
of Golden and Silver Falls State Park, in the Coast Range mountains of western
Oregon. A single English walnut was located at the edge of an old apple orchard,
about 150 feet from a small mountain stream. When first observed, the sapsucker
was feeding in the upper branches of the walnut. The trunk and main branches
were practically girdled by the hundreds of holes which had been made by this
species.
Two pairs of Rufous Hummingbirds were flying around the tree. Occasionally
they darted down to within six inches of the sapsucker but made no attempt to
molest the larger bird. As I approached the walnut the sapsucker became alarmed
and flew to a nearby apple tree. Immediately one of the hummingbirds flew to the
spot vacated by the sapsucker and hovered over the limb, while inserting its long
bill into one of the newly-made holes. Only once during the 20 minute period
of observation did two birds feed in adjacent holes at the same time. Occasionally
the birds would perch while feeding. They continued feeding even when I
climbed the tree and approached to within two feet of them.
On visiting the same spot two hours later two of the hummingbirds were
observed in the vicinity of the walnut but were not feeding. At this time a
sapsucker was feeding in an adjacent apple tree. At no time were hummingbirds
observed feeding on the sap of tree species other than the walnut.
The sap of trees is not commonly thought of as food for hummingbirds, and
there is only occasional mention of this type of feeding activity in the literature.
Barrows (Michigan Bird Life, p. 387. 1912. Mich. Agric. COIL) mentions the
occasional use of the sap flowing naturally from trees as food by the Ruby-throated
Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris. Obviously hummingbirds can only utilize
trees from which the sap is already flowing. Such food sources are rather rare.
Bolle (cited in Bent, U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull., 176, p. 343. 1940) noted the Ruby-
throated Hummingbird feeding at holes made by the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Grinnell and Storer (1924. Animal Life in the Yosemite, p. 354. Univ. Calif.
Press) reported Anna's Hummingbird, 1/2alypte anna, feeding on the sap of the
'golden oak' at the holes of the Yellow-bellied (Red-breasted) Sapsucker,
Sphyrapicus v. ruber. Woodbury (Condor 40(3): 125. 1938) observed the
Rufous Hummingbird feeding from workings on willow trees of the sapsucker,
S. v. nuchalis. Woodbury did not mention whether other food sources were
generally available in the vicinity. In the present instance there were ver
few flowers present in the small clearing where the birds were observed, and
none in the surrounding virgin Douglas Fir forest.--R. WEGrRT, Dept. of Zoolog'y,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.