Your neighbor's yard may already be winning. Hummingbirds remember where they found food last year. If that food source wasn't in your yard, you are starting from behind. Here's the good part, these little birds are always looking for better options, and a few simple changes can be the difference maker. Here is how to be sure the birds pick you this spring.
Bring Hummingbirds Right To Your Window!
Check PriceHummingbirds demonstrate incredible precision returning to the same breeding grounds each year, often migrating to the exact same yards. However, if they spot more favorable food, water, or shelter offerings in the neighboring yards, they will claim those instead.
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Here are a few great tips to encourage smaller visitors to your yard this spring.
Put Up Clean Feeders Early
Timing is essential for Hummingbirds that migrate North. Arriving on an early shift causes them to be drained and in dire need of energy.
Before the birds arrive in your area, put out your feeders at least 2 weeks in advance (the earlier the better). Use a mixture of four parts water to one part white sugar and DO NOT USE the red dye.
To avoid serious growth of mold, clean feeders more often during warm weather. If you're not sure when hummingbirds arrive in your area, journey north offers migration maps of these birds.
If a feeder is clean and ready to go, it can mean the difference between a hummingbird stopping to refuel or going to find better options down the street.
Features of Aspects HummZinger HighView 12oz Hummingbird Feeder
Plant Native Tubular Flowers
While feeders offer a source of food, wildflowers are better because they provide nectar and protein rich insects. Additionally, they offer natural foraging behavior that keeps hummingbirds healthy and engaged.
Some great options include _Lonicera sempervirens_, _Campis radicans_, _Monarda didyma_, and _Lobelia cardinalis_ but regionally native selections will always outperform generic garden center picks.
Instead of planting single plants, you should plant in clusters. Additionally, plant varieties that bloom at different times to provide food from early spring through fall.
Native plants provide a place for the small insects that provide protein for the hummingbirds — especially during nesting season. If you are planting right now, focus on the perennials. These will develop strong roots and give you years of visits from the hummingbirds.
Did You Know?
To acquire its daily food intake (in nectar), approximately 50% of its body weight, a single hummingbird visits 1,000 to 2,000 flowers every day. This is why flower clusters produce better results than singler or scattered plantings.
Wellspring Gardens Trumpet Honeysuckle Coral Plant
Add a Moving Water Feature
Hummingbirds need water like all birds, but will show more interest in water that is moving. A standard birdbath is too deep and still for their needs. They’re more likely to fly through a mist or hover near a gentle spray.
Transform a standard water source into a hummingbird magnet by adding solar fountains, misters, or drippers. Place your water feature close to flowers or feeders where hummingbirds tend to visit and keep the spray light and fine.
Watching them bathe while darting through droplets, is a practical and delightful behavior.
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To keep mosquitoes away, change the water every week, and also clean the water feature weekly. Additionally, moving water will catch sunlight, and make a sound that attracts hummingbirds from a distance.
AISITIN 2.5W Solar Pump for Bird Bath Fountain
Offer Nesting Materials
Hummingbird nests are made of soft plant fibers, spider silk, and lichen. Then, female hummingbirds will camouflage their nests using small bits of bark and moss.
You can help nesting efforts by leaving natural building materials in your yard. Native grasses should be left unobstructed when they go to seed. Small piles of pet fur or lint from your dryer (without chemicals) should be placed in open areas. Resisting the urge to clear away spider webs can help as well because that silk is critical to the elasticity of the nests.
Don't give synthetic fibers or yarn. These materials can tangle little feet or may not stretch as the nestlings grow. The female will do all the work herself, so your part is to simply give her a well stocked supply yard.
Once a hummingbird nests in your yard, she will likely return to the same area every year.
slivche Hummingbird Nesting Material Holder
Provide Nearby Shelter Spots
Along with food and water, hummingbirds also require safe places to rest, preen, and watch for competitors and predators.
Dense shrubs such as small trees and shrubs provide excellent cover — especially if they are native species like serviceberry, dogwood, or viburnum. Hummingbirds use dead twigs or small branches as perches to survey their territory.
Having an open lawn yard can still be pleasing to the eye with the right landscaping. For example, the addition of a strategically placed shrub can have a positive impact. When relocating plants, avoid heavy pruning early in the spring, and leave some natural 'mess' so that birds can enjoy the area.
The shelter will also protect the hummingbirds from severe weather and also give them staging areas for courtship displays. The closer these shelter spots are to your feeders and flowers the more likely the hummingbirds will prefer your yard as their home base instead of just a refueling stop.
Brushtech B122C Kolibri-Futterspender-Reinigungsset
Your Checklist for Attracting Hummingbirds
| What to Do | When to Do It | Why It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Hang clean feeders | 2+ weeks before expected arrival | Exhausted migrants need immediate calories |
| Mix 1:4 sugar water | Every 3–5 days (more in heat) | Prevents mold; skip the red dye |
| Plant native tubular flowers | Early spring (or fall for perennials) | Provides nectar + insects for protein |
| Add a mister or solar fountain | Before migration season starts | Moving water is irresistible to hummingbirds |
| Leave spider webs intact | Year-round | Silk is essential for stretchy, durable nests |
| Provide shelter shrubs & perches | Year-round | Resting spots turn a pit stop into home base |
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe
Homemade Hummingbird Nectar (The Only Recipe You Need)
Ingredients: 1 cup plain white sugar + 4 cups water
Instructions: Bring water to a boil. Stir in sugar, then allow to cool before filling your feeder. Extra sugar water can be stored in the refrigerator for two weeks.
Do not use honey, artificial sweeteners, or red dye. Dissolved plain white sugar in water is the most similar to what natural flower nectar is, and that is all they need.
Pro Tip
You can store nectar for two weeks in the fridge, so just remember to make it in batches! Having nectar that is easy to pour means that you will not procrastinate on keeping your feeders fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I put out hummingbird feeders in the spring?
It is a good idea to put out feeders at least two weeks before the first expected hummingbird visits your location. If you live in the southern U.S., this may be as early as the end of February. For northern states, mid-to-late April is typically the best time to put out feeders. You can check for real-time tracking updates at Journey North to see when the birds arrive in your area.
Do hummingbirds return to the same yard each year?
Yes, it is true that hummingbirds have strong spatial memory, so they go to the same feeders and flower beds from previous years. In studies of banded hummingbirds, individual birds have returned to the same backyard for over a decade. That is why it is so important to set up your backyard before they arrive; their first impression will last a long time.
Why shouldn’t I use red dye in my hummingbird feeder?
Red dye could be harmful and is not needed. The red color of the feeder will attract the humming birds. Studies have shown that dyes could potentially damage hummingbird kidneys over time. All you need is plain sugar water in a red feeder.
What’s the best type of feeder—bottle or saucer style?
Easier maintenance is generally found with saucer-style (dish) feeders, because they are easier to clean, less likely to leak, and are more straightforward to upkeep. While bottle feeders are able to hold more nectar, they can drip in hot temperatures and are more difficult to fully clean. If you're opting for one, it is difficult to surpass a saucer feeder with a built-in ant moat.
Can I attract hummingbirds without a feeder?
Of course! Hummingbirds survived millions of years without bird feeders, and with the native tubular flowers, such as honeysuckle, bee balm, and the trumpet and cardinal flowers, they have natural feeding sources. A yard with a variety of native plants that bloom at different times, a water mister, and lots of cover can attract just as many-or more-hummingbirds as one with feeders.
What can I do to keep my hummingbird feeders ant and bee free?
Pick a feeder that has an ant moat already built into it. Fill it with plain water, as the ants cannot swim across the water. For bees and wasps, select feeders that have bee guards, or choose a saucer style feeder where the nectar is below the ports and out of reach of shorter insect tongues. Also, do not choose feeders that are dripping, as this will cause the nectar to attract insects from the entire neighborhood.
