Many people consider hummingbirds to be the most interesting of all backyard birds. They are fun to watch as they fly around looking for food and water. It is amazing how fast they can fly and how quickly they can change direction then stop and hover. If you want to make hummers regular visitors to your yard just add a food source.

Hummingbirds can be attracted into your yard using natural sources of food such as flowers. If you want to attract even more hummingbirds try adding a few hummingbird feeders to your garden. Having plants in your garden that attract hummingbirds is easier than you think. Natural sources of hummingbird food provide nourishment to birds and create added beauty to your landscape. Once hummingbirds have found your flowers and feeders they are likely to return year after year.

Natural Hummingbird Nectar

Hummingbird nectar is sipped from flowers, usually red ones. Petunias, fuchsia, red columbine , trumpet vine and red bee balm are just a few plants that will attract your winged friends. The plants simply need sun and water to grow and the birds will find them on their own. Tiny flying insects are another natural food source for hummingbirds.

“Artificial” Hummingbird Nectar

You don’t need a large yard to attract hummingbirds, in fact you don’t need a yard at all. Whether you live in a condo, an apartment or in the city you can attract hummingbirds. Hanging flower baskets will attract hummingbirds and they don’t require a lot of space. You can also use hummingbird feeders in small spaces. They are available in many sizes and shapes. You can hang them from windowsills, under your eaves or even attach them to a window.

Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red so hummingbird feeders with red coloring attract more hummingbirds. Hummingbird feeders come in many shapes but the shape is not really important to hummingbirds. The nectar inside is what the hummers are looking for.

Feeders for Hummingbirds

Hummingbird feeders come in two basic styles, dish and bottle. The bottle style hummingbird feeder is usually a glass or plastic bottle turned upside down, sending the nectar down a tube. They often include red plastic flowers and bee-guards (little plastic screens that keep insects away from the sugar solution) on the feeding port. One downside to this style hummingbird feeder is that they tend to leak. When hanging in sunlight the liquid stored in the bottle feeder warms and expands. The expansion forces small amounts of nectar out the feeding tube.

When shopping for dish style hummingbird feeders you will find some made out of plastic. The other style is made from blown glass. These feeders are beautiful pieces of art that will add a touch of class to your bird feeding station. Plastic dish feeders consist of a dish to hold the nectar and a cover with multiple feeding ports. The feeding ports are usually shaped like flowers to attract hummingbirds. The topside feeding ports are not appealing to flying insects, as they cannot reach the nectar inside. I have tried both styles of hummingbird feeders and I think the dish style works the best.

Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

Hummingbird nectar is easy to make. It is a simple ratio of four parts water blended with one part sugar. You can make all the nectar you want as long as you stick to the ratio. If you are putting out your first hummingbird feeder or placing one in a new spot you may want to try a stronger mixture of four parts water to 2 parts sugar. This is said to attract hummers faster.

The mixture doesn’t necessarily need to be boiled. Boiling the sugar and water will guarantee that it is mixed, but stirring well will also keep it mixed. When you do boil your mixture, make sure to cool it down before serving it up to the birds. Red food dye is not needed to attract them, either. The red dye may actually be harmful to the birds. Store any leftover nectar in the refrigerator. It can remain for a week or two without going bad.

You can feed hummingbirds from early spring until late fall. Feeding hummingbirds in the fall will not delay their migration. In fact the extra nourishment will help them in their long journey south.

Hummingbirds will return to feeding sources year after year. So once you start feeding hummingbirds they will likely return to your hummingbird feeders for years to come.