Everyone should have a hummingbird feeder! They encourage pollinators of all kinds.
There are 4 key features in hummingbird feeders that will make you the most successful at attracting hummingbirds all season long.
1. Red in Color
Nearly all hummingbird feeders are red.
That’s because a hummingbird’s vision is more sensitive to red.
The hummingbirds’ sense of color is due to the dense concentration of cones in its retina…The filters appear to heighten color sensitivity in the red to yellow range, while muting colors such as blue. - Audubon
They learn that red objects (flowers or feeders) often indicate reliable food sources.
Choose a hummingbird feeder whose base is red. If not, at least opt for one with red flowers.
Don't use red hummingbird food!
Red dye can be harmful to birds. Since hummingbirds eat high volumes of food relative to their weight, they could ingest up to17 times higher than recommended human limits each day.
Use a simple homemade hummingbird food recipe.
2. Ant Moat
Hummingbird nectar is just sugar water. All kinds of insects and critters are attracted to sugar!
Ants are the most common pest that’ll swarm your hummingbird feeders. They're known to crawl up the bird feeder pole and into the spout.
Except they don't just eat the nectar.
They fall in and drown, spoiling your hummingbird food.
Some hummingbird feeders come with an ant moat. It's a suspended cup of water.
The ants fall in and never end up in your hummingbird food.
Got a feeder without a moat?
You can buy ant moats for any feeder. Simply hang your feeder to the moat.
They're great for any bird food that's high in sugar like fresh or dried fruit and nectar.
You'll be changing your nectar every day if you don't have an ant moat.
3. Bee Guards
Bees are yellow sensitive.
Many flowers have evolved yellow, ultraviolet-reflective pigments to specifically target the bee’s visual system, aiding in pollination.
Bees evolved to recognize yellow as an efficient food source, helping them locate food quickly.
Many hummingbird feeders have yellow flowers or flower centers.
The best hummingbird feeders have a bee guard. It’s a perforated dome that sits over the nectar spout.
Bee guards keep bees from getting nectar while hummingbirds can still access their food.
The bees will still be attracted to the nectar if your feeder doesn't have yellow.
That's why you want bee guards for your hummingbird feeder.
4. Perch
Hummingbirds are fast fliers with high metabolisms. Sometimes they don’t stop to refuel, eating nectar while hovering.
Even the tiniest birds need a rest sometimes.
The fourth element of a great hummingbird feeder are perches at feeding stations.
You'll notice many feeders and bird houses have perches. They make it easy for birds to, well, perch. Would you eat at restaurants that didn't have seating?
Perches simply give hummingbirds a stable spot to land and rest.
What hummingbird feeder do you use?
Share it on the Sparkbird App! Available in the Apple App Store.
Make sure to check out our other hummingbird articles:
- 6 Easy DIY Hummingbird Feeders (They're Basically Free!)
- 17 Plants to Attract Hummingbirds to your Yard
- The 10 Best Bird Baths for Hummingbirds
- 7 Potted Plants to Attract Hummingbirds
- 17 Plants to Attract Hummingbirds to your Yard
- 5 Steps to Clean Hummingbird Feeders
- 9 Ways to Attract Hummingbirds
