Hummingbird Bird Feeder

A hummingbird bird feeder may be the perfect addition to your property if you love birdwatching. Hummingbirds are said to be the jewels of winged wildlife, and they are very interesting to watch. Attracting them and knowing what, how, and how much to feed them can be the difficult part. I will try to walk you through the basics in this article.

What does a hummingbird eat?
Hummingbirds eat nectar for energy, and insects for protein and vitamins. Plain and simple. Since it would be weird to have a hummingbird bird feeder full of bugs, you would obviously want one that contains nectar. You can make artificial nectar buy mixing one part sugar with four parts water, boiling it to remove bacteria, then letting it cool.

How to attract and feed hummingbirds
Now that we know what hummers eat, we need to know where and how to set up a hummingbird bird feeder. Place the feeder near your garden if you have one because birds are attracted to bright, colorful flowers. Also, you should buy a hose mister to place in the garden. These are not very expensive, typically around $15, but are almost guaranteed to attract hummingbirds to your garden. Why? Because all birds LOVE water! Now you don't want to buy just one hummingbird bird feeder. I recommend buying two or more because hummingbirds tend to be aggressive when it comes to feeding, and they will fight off other hummers to protect nectar that they have found. For best results, buy a couple feeders and place them out of sight from one another.

How much nectar should you put out?
Simple answer, it depends on how many birds you want to see. A hummingbird bird feeder can have a capacity anywhere from 8 ounces to 72 ounces. The higher capacity feeders will usually have 6 perches on them, or a perch built all the way around to accommodate more birds. Again though, keep in mind that hummingbirds are territorial, so it is better to buy multiple feeders than just one high capacity feeder. For the average bird watcher, I recommend buying two 20 ounce feeders, with four perches, and placing them away from each other. This should give you the best results. It also makes cleaning easier than if you go with a larger capacity because the nectar doesn't sit in it for too long, however you will have to clean them more often.

When should you start?
Right now! Seriously the best time to start is in the summer months, before it gets too late into the year. Birdwatching is one of the most relaxing and entertaining hobbies of all time. And hummingbirds are some of the most entertaining birds to watch. A hummingbird bird feeder will only run you about $20, so why not buy one and start a new hobby!