After years of watching these magnificent little creatures dart around my feeders, I’ve learned that even the most dedicated hummingbird enthusiasts can make mistakes. Whether you’re a seasoned observer or just starting out, these common pitfalls can affect your success in attracting and maintaining a healthy hummingbird population in your garden.
Bring Hummingbirds Right To Your Window!
Check Price1. Using Red Dye in Nectar
At Wild Bird Scoop, we recommend against using red sugar water, as there have been some concerning reports about the safety of red dye. It has not been proven safe for hummingbirds, and any of the benefits associated with red dye can be achieved simply by using a red feeder.
Save this article for later so you don't lose it. Enter your email and I'll send it to you now—plus you'll get my favorite backyard birding tips delivered to your inbox.
2. Letting Feeders Go Empty
Hummingbirds have remarkable memories and can return year after year to the same places to feed. But because of their intense energy needs, hummingbirds that show up and find your yard empty may be forced to move on and find other food sources.
If you want to be sure of attracting them, get your feeders ready early! Hummingbirds are very particular about their feeders and will leave a feeder that is too often dirty or empty.
Leaving a dirty hummingbird feeder in your yard is a guaranteed way to send the hummingbirds you want to see to find somewhere else to eat. If you can’t commit to regularly filling and washing your hummingbird feeders, it’s best to plant lots of nectar-producing flowers and let those do the work of attracting hummingbirds.
Read next
More hummingbird fixes that answer the next question
3. Improper Feeder Placement
Don’t place your feeder in direct sunlight; the nectar solution will go bad faster. But don’t put them in dense shade either; it will be harder for the hummingbirds to spot the feeders that way.
It is important not to place feeders where the birds may be at risk of predation. Also, consider how the correct placement can minimize pest problems around hummingbird feeders.
Careful bird feeder placement can help you avoid many of the most common pitfalls and problems.
4. Neglecting Feeder Cleaning
To prevent spoilage, change the nectar every 2-3 days, or even more frequently in hot weather. Rinse feeders thoroughly before refilling.
When it’s time to clean the feeder, use a water and vinegar solution periodically to fully disinfect the feeders.
5. Using the Wrong Nectar Recipe
Nectar Recipe: Make your own nectar using 4 parts water to 1 part white sugar. Avoid sugar substitutes, brown sugar, honey, and red dyes as they can be harmful to the birds.
The Audubon Society’s basic hummingbird nectar recipe is the standard: bring 1 cup of tap water to a boil on the stove. Mix in ¼ cup of regular white sugar and stir until dissolved.
Get our free Hummingbird Attraction Guide! Plus, we'll send you our best tips for attracting more birds to your yard.
Let it cool completely before you put it in your clean feeder.
6. Removing Feeders Too Early
If you see a hummingbird late in the season, you should keep your hummingbird feeder up for at least two more weeks.
7. Ignoring Natural Food Sources
Only once you have considered how to provide natural food sources for birds through native plant selection and habitat creation should you think about adding feeders to provide supplemental food. Giving hummingbirds too much sugar can be detrimental.
It is always far better to provide plenty of natural food sources for hummingbirds in your garden. Remember that they need to source insects for protein and nectar from flowers.
8. Using Yellow Insect Guards
Use a red hummingbird feeder with red bee guards, not yellow. Using red will attract hummingbirds, which are drawn to red, and avoid insects who cannot see the color red.
Bee guards that fit into the feeding ports of existing feeders can also be purchased. They are a small plastic mesh shape that fits in the opening of the feeder where the bird drinks.
The Hummingbird bill can fit through the mesh but the bee cannot get in. Unfortunately, bee guards donot fit all styles of feeders.
9. Not Providing Water Sources
Some people say that the sound of running or dripping water will attract hummingbirds, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be moving water. A regular bird bath will also help create a welcoming environment for hummingbirds and other birds.
Keep going
More hummingbird fixes that answer the next question
10. Overcrowding Feeders
If you want to put out two hummingbird feeders, make sure they are not within sight of one another. That is because hummingbirds are territorial, and they will try to guard both hummingbird feeders and prevent other hummingbirds from coming into their space.
If the feeders are spread apart, that is less likely to happen, and you should end up with more birds.
11. Using the Wrong Type of Feeder
Ultimately, there are no significant differences between these types of feeders when it comes to attracting hummingbirds! The saucer feeder may be less noticeable, so an inverted feeder may attract more hummingbirds.
But that is not a hard and fast rule. What matters more is upkeep.
Cleaning the bird feeder is vital to prevent the spread of disease. However, some feeders are more difficult to clean than others.
If you don’t want to spend hours cleaning your dirty bird feeder, you’ll want to choose one that’s easy to clean.
12. Failing to Protect from Predators
Make sure your bird feeders are placed far enough from dense cover like shrubs so that birds can escape predators such as cats. 10 feet is a good distance.
Cats are the main worry. Obvious things that might keep some birds away are noisy or aggressive dogs, and especially cats that are allowed to roam, as these are aggressive bird predators.
If cats rule the roost, birds may steer clear.
13. Not Maintaining Winter Feeders
Hummingbird feeders can therefore be taken down at night. This can be a good idea in colder regions where hummingbirds are present in winter since this can prevent the feeders from freezing.
14. Missing Peak Feeding Times
Yes, hummingbirds follow predictable daily routines focused on feeding. They have set territories and visit familiar flowers and feeders at repeated times, as long as food is available.
15. Forgetting to Document
If you manage to spot a vagrant hummingbird species like a Mexican violetear or a rufous hummingbird, don’t forget to document it with your local birding clubs and organizations!
Hummingbird feeder quick reference
| What our writers say | |
|---|---|
| Nectar ratio | 4 parts water to 1 part white sugar |
| Never use | Honey, artificial sweeteners, brown sugar, red dye |
| Change nectar | Every 2–3 days, more often in hot weather |
| Cleaning | Rinse before refilling; water and vinegar solution to disinfect |
| Placement | Out of direct sun, but not in dense shade either |
| Spacing | Keep multiple feeders out of sight of one another |
| Bee guards | Red, not yellow — insects cannot see red |
| Distance from cover | About 10 feet, so birds can escape cats |
| Winter | In cold regions take feeders down at night to stop them freezing |
| Water | A plain birdbath works; it does not have to be moving water |
