Hummingbirds require immense energy to sustain their hovering flight and rapid metabolism. These fast-moving birds must constantly search for high-calorie fuel, often visiting hundreds of flowers daily. Cherry blossoms, with their dramatic, early-spring bloom, represent one of the first widespread sources of floral resources in many temperate environments. This overlap in timing leads to the question of whether this ornamental tree is a valuable source of sustenance for the newly returned migrating hummingbird.
Are Cherry Blossoms a Primary Food Source?
Cherry blossoms are not considered a primary food source for hummingbirds, primarily due to the flower’s physical structure. Most cherry varieties feature an open, shallow, cup-shaped bloom that exposes the nectar source without requiring a long beak. This morphology is ideally suited for generalized insect pollinators like bees, which easily land on the wide petals to reach the nectar reward. The shallow structure does not offer the efficiency or protection from nectar robbers that hummingbirds seek.
While the Kwanzan cherry is noted for its nectar-rich blooms, the open design makes the nectar pool accessible to competitors. Hummingbirds seek the highest caloric return for their energy expenditure, which is not found in the typical cherry flower. Consequently, the birds usually bypass these blossoms if specialized flowers are available, as the nectar is often depleted quickly by other visitors.
What Hummingbirds Look For in a Flower
Hummingbirds feed from flowers that offer a high-quality nectar source. They seek out blooms with a tubular or funnel-like shape, which physically restricts access for most insects but perfectly accommodates the bird’s long, slender bill. This deep corolla ensures the nectar is reserved for the bird and positions pollen onto the hummingbird’s head for effective transport.
The sugar concentration of the nectar is a primary driver in a hummingbird’s choice of flower, as their high metabolic rate demands concentrated fuel. These birds prefer nectars with a high sugar content, offering the most calories per visit. They learn quickly to associate flower characteristics with the size of the reward, making nutritional density a stronger draw than appearance alone.
Though often associated with red and orange blooms, the color preference of hummingbirds is largely a learned behavior rather than an innate one. In natural settings, many bird-pollinated plants have evolved to display these colors, which are less visible to bees. However, the birds’ foraging behavior is ultimately guided by optimal foraging theory, meaning they will select any color that reliably signals a substantial nectar reward.
The Role of Opportunistic Feeding and Timing
Despite not being a primary food source, cherry blossoms coincide with the early spring migration. Migrating birds arrive when many specialized tubular flowers have not yet bloomed, making any available sugar source temporarily valuable. During this time, a hummingbird may occasionally sip the shallow nectar from a cherry blossom because it is readily accessible.
More frequently, hummingbirds visiting cherry trees are feeding on the insect life attracted to the blossoms. Insects provide the protein, fats, and minerals that nectar lacks, which are particularly needed after a long migration and for females preparing to nest. The birds may also take advantage of sap wells drilled into the cherry tree bark by Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, using the sugary tree sap as an alternative carbohydrate source when floral nectar is scarce.