7 Tips to Attract More Hummingbirds
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Hummingbirds are some of the most captivating and charming birds you’ll ever see. With their long beaks and nimble movements, it’s mesmerizing to watch them darting around nectar feeders and flowers across your garden.
Here are some fun facts about hummingbirds:
Hummingbirds are the smallest migrating bird. They don’t migrate in flocks like other species, and they typically travel alone for up to 500 miles at a time.
Their name is a bit of an onomatopoeia. The name, hummingbird, comes from the humming noise their wings make as they beat so fast.
They have a unique skill. Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.
They don’t have a sense of smell. But while they can’t sniff out feeders, they do have good color vision. Some fliers, like the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, prefer orange or red flowers.
They’re teeny-tiny. The average weight of a hummingbird is less than a nickel! Their nests are smaller than a half dollar, and their eggs are about the size of a jelly bean or coffee bean.
Hummingbirds have a famously quick metabolism. That's why hummingbirds love nectar—energetically speaking, it's like rocket fuel. To sustain their high energy, hummingbirds must eat once every 10 to 15 minutes and visit between 1,000 and 2,000 flowers per day.
They feed at a quick rate. Hummingbirds drink the nectar found in feeders by moving their tongue in and out about 13 times per second. They can consume up to double their body weight in a day.
Their walking movements are limited. Their tiny legs are only used for perching and moving sideways while perched. They can’t walk or hop.
A group of hummingbirds is called... A flock of hummingbirds can be referred to as a bouquet, a glittering, a hover, a shimmer, or a tune.
If you’d like to attract more of these miniature feathered gems, it’s best to start planning your garden early. You want to have plenty of bold, bright, nectar-filled flowers to create a continuous display. Here are some garden design best practices to get started.
1. Space out your flowers and feeders.
Hummingbirds aren’t known for feeding together peacefully. In fact, they’re quite territorial about their favorite spots to eat! You’ve probably seen hummingbirds fighting around feeders, chasing one another away. This makes perfect sense; flowers have limited amounts of nectar, so hummingbirds have developed the instinct to protect their food sources even when they’re at feeders with an unlimited supply.
Try putting up flowers and feeders on opposite sides of your garden. This gives your little flying friends the freedom to choose where to feed so they won't have to share or compete with bullies. And even the toughest little hummingbird can’t monopolize multiple feeders if he or she can’t see them all at once.
While we’re on the subject -- replace old feeders! And when you do, get durable, heavy plastic feeders. Make sure they are designed for easy filling and that they come apart for easy cleaning.
2. Offer sugar water.
Some companies sell hummingbird nectar, but you can easily make your own:
Measure out 1 part white granulated sugar to 4 parts water and mix thoroughly.
Boil the mixture to remove impurities (which may help it keep longer before it starts to spoil).
Remember not to use red dye in nectar, as it could harm the birds. Simple sugar and water work just fine.
Don’t forget to keep the feeders clean! Sugar water that has started to grow moldy can be dangerous to birds. Replace the sugar water at least once every three days, and if it’s hot outside, replace the sugar water every day. If the mixture starts to look cloudy, clean the feeder with hot water and dish soap and replace the sugar water immediately.
3. Put feeders in spots that can’t be missed.
Like we mentioned earlier, hummingbirds are attracted to bright oranges and reds. Place your feeders in a place where it’s easy to spot, such as where it can be seen by hungry hummers flying past at a distance.
If the red parts on your hummingbird feeders are getting a bit dull, you can repaint them using red, orange, or fuchsia nail polish. Make sure the nail polish is totally dry before you fill and place the feeder.
You should also know that hummingbirds have a highly developed sense of spatial memory -- so if the hummingbirds returning in spring seem to remember where you had flowers or feeders in previous years, they probably do. Keep your feeders in the same place this year. They’re good at finding their way back to the best spots, and once you get them established, they’ll be back for more.
4. Use lots of orange, red, and fuchsia.
Hummingbirds instinctively seek out bright, warm-toned flowers and objects. The bright colors will lure migrant hummingbirds down to your garden. When they get there, they’ll find your nectar-filled flowers and hummingbird feeders, which might make them decide to stay for more than just a rest stop.
Experts say that hummingbirds prefer bright red blooms with a tubular shape. If you'd like to plant some hummingbird-attracting plants, we’d recommend browsing Spring Hill Nurseries’ selection of hummingbird favorites.
Consider the following red flowers:
You can even use bright orange, red, and fuchsia garden decor.
5. Plan a continuous blooming schedule.
Continuous blooming means hummingbirds will always have a reason to be in your yard. As you design your garden, choose plant species that have different blooming periods. This is especially important in the late summer and fall, when flower production is down but hummingbird numbers are up, with all the recently fledged youngsters.
For example, choose a ready-to-bloom hanging basket of fuschia for early flowers, a fast-growing Salvia species for midsummer flowers, and a late-blooming trumpet creeper that will be in flower in late summer and fall. Ask a local gardening expert for advice on blooming schedules and seasons for your area, soil type, and climate.
6. Deadhead your flowers to enhance blooming.
“Deadheading” refers to removing old blossoms shortly after they’ve wilted, then removing seedheads from blooming plants. By doing so, you trick the plants into thinking their work is not yet complete -- and the plants respond by continuing to produce flowers and seedheads, in the end producing far more than they would have if they had not been deadheaded.
7. Add a mister to your garden
Like all birds, hummingbirds love to bathe. Watch and enjoy your backyard as it becomes a community of hummingbirds and songbirds as they fly through and bathe in your misted garden.
You can find mister attachments for your regular garden hose at any hardware store, lawn and garden centers, specialty bird stores, and through Amazon. With the faucet turned on to just a trickle, the mister shoots a fine mist into the air. Your hummingbird visitors will love zipping through for a quick refresher.
Conclusion
It may take awhile to attract hummingbirds to your feeders—and even after they do, it may be a while before you notice that they’re visiting. They may zip in to the feeder for a quick sip many times before you happen to catch them in the act. So keep feeding hummingbirds, and keep watching. Your garden will eventually become known as the hottest one around town.