Hummingbirds spend most of their time resting. They are very small and blend in with the areas they perch on. This makes it difficult to spot them unless you watch them fly to the perch. They rest because they consume such a great amount of energy while flying that they would exhaust themselves. With their energy spent feeding and chasing other hummingbirds, they take extended breaks during the day. Even then they feed about four to five times and hour. 

Hummingbird PhotographyA male ruby-throated hummingbird perched on a flower stem. This particular hummingbird had a special strategy when dealing with other hummingbirds. This one staked out an area in a bottle bristle bush. It would hide among the leaves and branches. It never went too far out. When other birds in the bush would fight each other it would just stay still. When the fighting stopped it would calmly feed in the small area it patrolled. The male wouldn't expend too much energy chasing other birds out either. It left other birds to do that while it stayed hidden.

Hummingbird PhotographyAn immature male ruby-throated hummingbird perched on a flower stem. An immature male

Hummingbird PhotographyA male ruby-throated hummingbird perched on a flower stem. Hummingbird PhotographyAn immature male ruby-throated hummingbird perched on a flower stem.