Place feeders in partial shade, especially protected from hot afternoon sun, so nectar won’t spoil as quickly.And don’t put them with other bird feeders to avoid conflicts: hummingbirds may be small, but they often chase other birds away from their favorite spots. Keep them away from windows to avoid the risk of collision. Hang feeders from tree branches, roof overhangs or other structures, high enough so that cats and other predators won’t be able to jump on them.There are commercial nectars that contain no dye or you can make your own (see the recipe below). You don’t need to add red-colored nectar and in fact, the dye used can be harmful to hummers.Once they start frequenting your feeder, you can remove the streamers. Hang out a few red ribbons from nearby trees and shrubs to catch the attention of new arrivals.Small feeders are just as effective as large ones and more convenient to clean.Clear plastic ones with red trays or red, yellow or white feeding ports are just fine. Many are red, as red is a color known to attract hummingbirds, but that isn’t absolutely necessary.Hummingbirds aren’t nearly as particular to the color of the feeder as is often claimed. There are all sorts of hummingbird feeders on the market and most are quite acceptable. Tips on Attracting Hummingbirds to Your Feeder In such climates, do leave out and service hummingbird feeders all year long. Note that there are a few regions where hummingbirds are active year round, especially Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, the extreme southern US states and, more and more, the US/Canada West Coast. When the birds do show up, you can start filling the feeder to the top. ![]() ![]() (Hummingbird nectar has to be changed every 3 to 5 days, so why waste it?) Just add about 1/3 rd the amount needed to fill the feeder for this extra-early fill. You don’t have to fill the feeder at first. After all, some springs are warmer than others … and there are always are a few intrepid early hummers-trailblazers!-even in the coldest years, and you won’t want to miss them. So, put out your feeder … two weeks before the suggested dates, just in case. The map above gives an approximate idea of when hummers are expected in your part of the continent. If you wait until you actually see a hummingbird and the feeder is not yet placed, set one up quickly, otherwise they’ll likely ignore it the entire summer. After investigating it and finding nectar present, they’ll almost always adopt it into their daily rounds. If it’s a new feeder, it also has to be there when they first arrive, so early that flowers are pretty rare. If it isn’t, they’ll check out the site for a day or two, then give up on it. And, if it is present and contains nectar, they’ll use it and come back again and again. If they used a feeder a previous year, they’ll quickly check out the spot where it was when they arrive from the South. Photo: Michelle Lynn Reynolds, Wikimedia Commons You can put out birdfeeders, but to attract other birds, not hummers! Lovers of Routine Male ruby throated hummingbird visiting a nectar-filled feeder. *Sorry, readers from outside of the Americas, but hummingbirds (specialized nectar feeding birds in the Trochilidae family) are found strictly in the New World. But you have to do it in a timely fashion. And if you want to have them faithfully visit your garden, nothing beats putting out and maintaining a hummingbird feeder or two. The migratory North American species, such as the ruby-throated hummingbird (Eastern North America) and the rufous hummingbird (Western North America), overwinter in Mexico and Central America, then return to their northern haunts during the spring and summer. If you’re seeking to attract hummingbirds to this summers’ garden*, don’t wait too long!
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