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How to Attract Hummingbirds

How to attract hummingbirds to your yard can easily be accomplished by providing for their basic needs of food and water.

Through many years of experience; here are our tips that worked to attract hummingbirds .

Whether you are new to attracting hummingbirds for the first time or a seasoned hummingbird lover, our guaranteed tips will attract lots of hummers!

These birds are loyal and once they find a habitat that satisfies their needs, they faithfully return year after year.


13 Tried and True Tips on
How to Attract Hummingbirds!

1. Plant a Hummingbird Garden with Nectar Rich Flowers.

Planting a hummingbird garden with nectar rich flowers will be a sure step to attract hummingbirds.

Red flowers are especially attracting, since they are easily seen by hummingbirds.

Design your garden with flowers that bloom at different times so there will be flowers available all season.

Planting brightly colored flowers that attract hummingbirds or hanging flower baskets with plants will lure these jewel like birds in search of nectar.

These birds are pollinators and play an important roll in the life cycle of flowering plants.

See our hummingbird flowers page for wide variety of different flowers, trees, shrubs and annuals that attract hummingbirds.

Learn how to create a hummingbird habitat.

Hummingbird Perennial GardenHummingbird Perennial Garden

2. Hang Red Hummingbird Feeders.

Hanging red hummingbird feeders will also initially attract hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds do not have a strong sense of smell.

They do however have excellent sight and are attracted to bright colors, especially red feeders filled with nectar.

Most feeders today have enough red on them to attract hummingbirds.

If your feeders are hung in an open area they will be easily detected/seen.

Once established and you have hummers coming to your feeders, there is no need to always display red feeders.

We have several feeders that are absent of any red and are used just as much as our red feeder.

Learn many more detailed tips about attracting with a hummingbird feeder.

Red Decorative Hummingbird FeederRed Decorative Hummingbird Feeder

3. Hang red ribbons on your feeders, bushes and trees.

Hanging larger strips of red ribbon near your flower garden and feeders will be seen by passing hummingbirds.

This is especially helpful when trying to attract hummingbirds for the first time.

We recommend purchasing several spools of the widest red ribbon that you can find.

Hang the strips around your yard from trees, bushes and your feeders.

4. Supply a Water Source.

Water is necessary for hummingbirds just like any other living creature.

Some believe that nectar is a source for water but this is not the case, they need a separate source of pure water.

Hummingbirds can drink and bath in flight.

Hummingbirds don’t submerge themselves in a birdbath as other birds will do.

They prefer to dive and skim the surface or fly through a spray to get their requirement of water and bathe.

You can install a floating birdbath mister or bubbler in your birdbath that sprays a fine gently mist into the air.

This is important, especially in arid climates where water is at a premium.

Watch your backyard come alive with hummingbirds as they fly through the sunlit mist of a garden hose mister or a solar powered misting birdbath.

Learn how to use water to attract hummingbirds.

Birdbath Mister/BubblerBirdbath Mister/Bubbler

5. Plant trees or tall shrubs as perches.

Hummingbirds do not walk or hop but do perch about 80% of their life. They perch all night long to sleep which is called Torpor.

During the day they will use a perch to oversee and guard a flower garden, feeder or any other source of food.

After feeding, a perch supplies a comfortable spot to digest their food, which usually takes about 20 minutes.

A perch also supplies a spot for maintenance, that is "preening", which is removing built up debris in their feathers.

They will fluff their feathers to loosen any dirt or debris and then remove it with their bill. This helps to keep them light and airy for flying.

When planning a hummingbird garden, include trees or tall shrubs to serve as perches.

It's fun to follow their flight and catch a glimpse of these miniature birds perching on a tiny leaf stem or branch.

Maybe a photo opportunity?

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird PerchedMale Ruby-throated Hummingbird Perched

6. Hang a protein/insect feeder as a source of protein.

Hummingbirds survive on a diet of protein supplied by insects; while nectar is fuel for their fast metabolism.

Their prime food supplements necessary for survival are actually protein, vitamins and minerals. Insects supply these vital needs.

Display protein feeders that supply fruit flies.

A protein feeder holds fruit that eventually rots and, in the process, generates fruit flies for hummingbirds.

TIP: Make a homemade protein feeder by placing banana peels in a mesh onion bag and hang it near one of your feeders.

This will eventually produce fruit flies supplying the necessary protein that hummingbirds need.

7.Hang more feeders to attract more hummingbirds.

Displaying more hummingbird feeders will attract a greater number of hummingbirds.

Feeders can only sustain a limited number of hummingbirds.

They will chase each other away if too many hummers are trying to use the same feeder.

8. Create distance between feeders to establish more territories.

Since male hummingbirds will claim and guard a feeder, separating feeders from each other will attract other males to claim these feeders.

We have a dozen feeders around out house that are hung on all 4 sides of the house.

Because, the feeders are out-of-sight from each other, we have several males along with numerous females that frequent the feeders.

9.Change nectar often.

Fresh nectar is critical to attract hummingbirds. Changing the nectar often is vital to keeping hummingbirds at your feeders.

Nectar will ferment quickly since it is sugar water, especially in a warmer climate or in the sun.

If nectar spoils in a feeder, hummingbirds will leave these feeders and seek food sources elsewhere.

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar Recipe

10.Don't use red dyes or food coloring in homemade nectar.

Warning Sign

WARNING! Red dyes or food coloring can be dangerous, even death, to hummingbirds!

There is no need for coloring homemade nectar red to attract hummingbirds.

You can make your own nectar with our simple nectar recipe of sugar and water.

A red feeder or red ribbons hanging from a feeder is enough to attract hummingbirds


Sugar for Homemade Hummingbird NectarSugar for Homemade Hummingbird Nectar

11. Keep your feeders clean.

Cleaning your feeders is crucial to the health of hummingbirds.

If feeders aren’t kept clean, disease can set in, which would be harmful.

Clean, healthy feeders are necessary to attract hummingbirds

Here are step by step instructions for cleaning hummingbird feeders.

Hummingbird Feeder Cleaning Brush KitHummingbird Feeder Cleaning Brush Kit

12. Deter ants with an ant moat.

A feeder infested with ants will repel hummingbirds from using it and they will seek nectar elsewhere.

Ants will drown in a feeder, start rotting and promote more disease.

Using an ant moat will keep your feeders free from ants and healthy.


Warning Sign

WARNING! DO NOT USE INSECTICIDES! This could kill hummingbirds.

An ant moat is a natural and safe way to keep ants out of your feeders.

Hummingbird Feeder Ant MoatHummingbird Feeder Ant Moat

13. Use bee resistant feeders.

Bees will quickly take over a feeder, feasting on the sweet nectar, if they have access to the nectar.

Using bee resistant feeders or bee guards will keep bees away, leaving your feeders available exclusively for your hummers.

Red Glass Hummingbird Feeder With Bee GuardsRed Glass Hummingbird Feeder With Bee Guards
Hummingbird at Flower

Our Experience with Attracting Hummingbirds!

Who knows what really prompted our passion for learning how to attract hummingbirds and care for them?

After a long, cold winter in the northeastern United States, it was Spring!

We hung a feeder on the plant basket hanger outside our kitchen window, and followed the instructions on the package recommending a stronger ratio of nectar for first time use.

We waited but it took awhile for our first visitor to arrive.


The Rest is History!

After our first visitors arrived, we thought, "If we hang more feeders, we might attract more hummingbirds!" We added 3 more feeders and sure enough we had more hummers visiting these additional feeders.

Now we hang 12 feeders around our house outside of almost every window on the first floor. So we currently attract hummingbirds to all feeders and enjoy the sight of our little friends at a feeder in every room.

We planted a perennial garden with the sole purpose to attract hummingbirds. We added a water fountain in the garden to quench their thirst and planted a few small trees around the edges of the garden for perches.

Over the past 40 years this tiny bird has captured our hearts.......
                        as we expect it to capture yours!

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