Hummingbird Food, Feeders, and More

Hummingbirds are among the most recognizable of outdoor birds! Loved by many for their iridescent feathers, small stature, and breathtaking aerial antics. Hummingbirds are specialized feeders and as such require special diets. Find a variety nectar mixes and hummingbird feeders all in one place. Hummingbirds can be territorial, especially in Spring, so having a few feeders spread around your home often proves beneficial to those who want many hummingbirds in their yard!

Routine food changes and proper cleaning of the feeder is important to keep hummingbirds around and not get them sick!

Hummingbirds are captivating to observe and distinct from other birds that visit feeders. They prefer sugar water over seeds and have specialized adaptations like their tongue structure and flight patterns, allowing them to feed on nectar efficiently. While native flowers are the best nectar sources, a nectar feeder can supplement their diet, especially during migration, providing a vital energy boost.

To attract and feed hummingbirds while ensuring their safety, follow these steps:

1. Choose a hummingbird feeder:
   • Ensure the feeder is easy to open and clean and features red parts, as hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, often found in the flowers they pollinate. If your feeder lacks red, you can paint the glass with red nail polish or tie a red ribbon around it. Glass feeders are recommended since soft plastic can degrade in heat.
   • Pay attention to the port size. Ports that are too small won't dispense nectar properly, making it difficult for hummingbirds to feed, while ports that are too large might leak and attract insects. Adding bee guards, which snap over the ports, can help prevent this issue.

If hummingbirds use your feeders all day long, they are probably residents, but if you see them only in early morning and late afternoon, they are probably migrating, because migrating takes place in midday. Over a period of about a month, a series of migrants may use your feeders without your realizing they are different individuals. 

Hummingbirds have an amazing ability to remember locations of food sources. Spring migrants often astonish feeder owners by hovering expectantly over the spots where flowers or feeders were the previous year.