If you have decided to hang a hummingbird feeder in your garden, it is important to understand that positioning is critical.
The process of hanging the different feeders you can find or make is easy – but hang them in the wrong place, and things just won’t go as smoothly, and it won’t be as beneficial for you or the birds.
Choosing Where to Hang a Hummingbird Feeder
When choosing where to hang a hummingbird feeder, you should think about the birds themselves, how they will benefit, and the conditions they like.
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.
First of all, before you select a specific location, it is a good idea to consider the basics.
Should I Hang My Hummingbird Feeder in the Sun or Shade?
While hanging a hummingbird feeder in a sunny spot will make it more visible for the birds, remember that when placed in direct sunlight, the hummingbird food in your feeders will spoil more quickly, and you will need to change it more frequently.
It can be beneficial to choose a nectar feeder location in light, dappled shade, or where the feeders get some morning sun but are shaded during the afternoon in the hottest part of the day.
At What Height Should a Hummingbird Feeder Be Hung?
A feeder should typically be positioned where you can easily remove it from its supports to clean and refill it regularly. But it should also be placed high enough above the ground to reduce the risk from cats or other predators that may jump up and harm the hummingbirds while they feed.
Typically, you will hang a hummingbird feeder 5-6 feet above the ground. The height may vary quite a lot depending on where the feeder is placed and how it is supported.
Other Key Tips for Hanging Hummingbird Feeders
- Hang feeders with secure fastenings and supports.
- Make sure birds have space to maneuver around the feeders.
- Place feeders so that hummingbirds can find them easily.
- Choose a sheltered spot out of the strong wind.
- Avoid placing the feeders on thoroughfares, where they might be knocked or bumped, causing breakage or spills.
- Ensure that you have easy access to your feeders to maintain them easily.
- Consider how to minimize the risk of pests or predators around your feeders.
- Make sure there are no dangers to the birds close by.
- Ideally, place feeders close to natural food sources, water, perches, and places of refuge and shelter for the hummingbirds that visit them. Cover should be no further than 10-15 feet away.
- To enjoy birdwatching, make sure feeders are placed where you can see them easily from your home.
Selecting a Specific Location for a Hummingbird Feeder
Now that we have covered the basics, it is time to look at where a feeder might be placed and how it will be supported or suspended above the ground. We’ll take a look at some common options below.
Hanging a Hummingbird Feeder From a Tree Branch
In a hummingbird-friendly garden, you should try to include a range of trees and shrubs as well as lower-growing flowering plants. If you have a suitable tree in your garden, hummingbird feeders can potentially be suspended from its branches. The benefit is that the tree’s canopy may provide lovely dappled shade. And the birds will also have places to perch and shelter close by.
However, look out for pests and consider how you can mitigate issues with other creatures on and around your feeders. Adding features like an ant moat and squirrel guard may be necessary.
Hanging a Hummingbird Feeder From a Free-Standing Mount
Another simple idea is to hang hummingbird feeders from free-standing mounts. You can either make your own post or pole setup or purchase supports like shepherd’s hooks from the store.
The good thing about this option is that you are free to place feeders in any optimal location throughout your flower garden and won’t be restricted to specific spaces.
You can place a feeder on a free-standing mount over water, such as a garden pond. Or over a beautiful flower bed filled with nectar-rich flowers providing natural food sources for hummingbirds. But if you choose this option, you have to be careful about how close it is to windows and other reflective surfaces.
Birds may often bang into window glass because they cannot see it clearly. Therefore, many experts recommend that you place free-standing hummingbird feeders at least ten feet, and perhaps even as much as 30 feet, from your home’s windows (unless, as below, they are right next to them).
With this solution, it is also very important to ensure that the supporting mount is secure and won’t be knocked or blown over.
Hanging a Hummingbird Feeder From Your Porch, Pergola, or Roof Overhang
Another common solution is to hang hummingbird feeders from outside elements of your home. You might hang feeders from the roof or suspend them on a bar jutting out from the railing on a porch or from the support beams of a pergola. Or you might hang them from a roof overhang, your eaves, or even suspend them from your gutter system.
The benefit, of course, is that you will easily be able to see birds as they will be right next to your home. Roof overhangs and porches, etc., can also provide some beneficial afternoon shade during the heat of the day.
Just make sure that the feeders are not in the way of human uses of the spaces, that no one will bump into them, and that the area will not be too busy or noisy for the birds to feel safe.
Wall or Fence-Mounting a Hummingbird Feeder
You can also hang a hummingbird feeder from brackets attached to walls on your home, on a garage, shed, or other building in your garden, or from a sturdy fence or trellis.
Think carefully about the plants around your feeder and how this planting can draw the hummingbirds in. Also, consider how easily you can reach the site to clean and refill the hummingbird feeders regularly.
In the right location, mounted to a wall or fence, a hummingbird feeder can be very accessible. But don’t place one on a fence at the back of a deep flower bed, for example, where it could be difficult to reach.
Window Mounting a Hummingbird Feeder
Some people will also choose to hang a window hummingbird feeder using suction cups or other supports attached to a window. The benefit of this option, of course, is that you will be able to see the hummingbirds visiting the feeder up close to inside your home. And, you can get a more detailed look at these amazing creatures as they feed.
When the birds are flying more slowly and are closer to the glass, they are less likely to harm themselves. But if you choose this option, you should add decals or other features to the window glass to make the surface easier for the birds to see.
If you keep the above in mind, you should be able to find the perfect place to hang a hummingbird feeder, wherever you live.