Hummingbirds are probably be the cutest birds of the animal kingdom. Who doesn’t love the sight of their tiny wings beating too fast to see? Countless people are addicted to watching them twirl and dance around a hummingbird feeder, which is why so many households display the bright red feeders.
What most people don’t know about hummingbirds is that they actually have a natural enemy…and that beast could be lying in wait for them on their very own feeder.
Meet the Praying Mantis: the Hummingbird Slayer.
You read that right, praying mantises have been known to occasionally hide on or in hummingbird feeders. Then when the moment is right they strike, kill, and eat their prey.
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Typically, mantids feed on smaller, fast flying insects like bees and wasps. The sugar water in a hummingbird feeder will attract most of their normal prey. Therefore, it’s the perfect spot to sit and wait.
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However, because the mantis is used to tracking fast moving prey, it can sometimes mistake hummingbirds coming to the feeder for bees or wasps.
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Usually, the bugs are smart enough to make the distinction between hummingbirds (which are 8 to 10 times bigger than their normal prey) and bees or wasps. However, if it’s been a while since a mantis last ate, it might strike without thinking first.
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That’s when you get scenes like this. Not a pleasant way to go for the hummingbird.
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Mantids are also incapable of eating the entire hummingbird. If they are able to successfully catch and kill a hummingbird, they’ll eat their fill, and leave the rest of the body there to rot.
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(via Reddit)
So, there you have it. If you ever catch a mantis hanging around your hummingbird feeder, he isn’t just enjoying the view.
