Ever wonder why some gardens seem to be hummingbird magnets while others remain mysteriously empty? These tiny aerial acrobats aren’t just randomly flitting about – they’re actually scouting for very specific features that most gardeners never even notice.

Keep reading to discover the surprising “surveillance program” they’ve secretly set up to monitor your sugar supply.

The Colors That Actually Pull Them In

It doesn’t take long to notice that hummingbirds are drawn to bright, colorful flowers — especially red, orange, pink, and yellow ones. This makes the question, “Do hummingbirds see color?” pretty easy to answer: yes!

Most people know that bright red flowers and red features on hummingbird feeders are the most likely to attract hummingbirds. But does that mean that they love all red flowers, or that they won’t visit other kinds of flowers at all?

And what about roses, which come in many different colors? Do hummingbirds like roses, and will they visit your rose garden?

But don’t forget that hummingbirds (and the insects they eat) will also visit flowers of plenty of other hues. So plant as many different native nectar-bearing flowers as possible for a hummingbird-friendly garden.

Forget what you’ve heard about red being their favorite color. These tiny connoisseurs are actually drawn to a specific shade of hot pink that mimics their beloved Salvia flowers.

It’s that same electric hue your grandmother’s plastic flamingos used to sport in her prized rose garden – and these little performers can spot it from a quarter-mile away.

The Bare-Twig Perch They Are Always Hunting For

So let’s take a look at hummingbird perching behavior to find out more about when, where, and why they might take a rest. We’ll also give you some instructions for making an appealing hummingbird swing so you might see them slow down and take a moment to relax — right in front of your window!

Adding natural perches like bare twigs may work just as well or better to provide perching spots. Ultimately, conveniently located food and water, not special swings, will be the main draw for hummingbirds.

But for birders who enjoy observing perched hummingbirds up close, trying a swing in your habitat may be worth a shot.

Moving Water Beats Still Water

Hummingbirds get most of their hydration from the nectar that they drink, but they also drink water and bathe. They will sometimes “bathe” in light rain, and they will visit birdbaths as needed.

They will drink the morning dew for hydration, too. You can further enhance your garden’s appeal to many species by adding a water feature of some kind.

This might be a fountain feature or a waterfall feature trickling into a pond. This may also be a bird bath or other water feature somewhere else in your garden.

To get a better look at these highly active fellas, invest in a perched hummingbird feeder with sugar water or a birdbath and fountain for the hummingbird to sip water.

The Spider Silk They Build With

Like resourceful crafters at a garage sale, hummingbirds are always on the lookout for spider silk to build their walnut-sized nests . Spider web provides the glue to keep the nesting material collected by the female Hummer together.

She will weave the spider silk into the nest material to hold it all together. The female hummingbird constructs her nest from grasses, twigs, and other plant materials, weaving these together and holding them in place with spider silk.

She forms the bird nest in layers, tamps down the materials, and shapes them using her feet. She often uses soft materials like thistledown or dandelion heads to line the nest and lichen or other materials to disguise the outside.

Female hummingbirds cleverly utilize spider silk as nesting material. Unfortunately, collecting this material puts them at risk of getting caught in spider webs.

Large spiders are known to eat hummingbirds when presented with the opportunity.

Like resourceful crafters at a garage sale, hummingbirds are always on the lookout for spider silk to build their walnut-sized nests. They’ll carefully collect strands from abandoned webs, using them like nature’s bungee cords to secure their tiny homes and allow them to stretch as their chicks grow.

It’s better than anything you’ll find at the craft store.

Morning Sun, But Not Full Sun

Just like your aunt who rearranges her morning coffee spot with the seasons, hummingbirds track the perfect sunbeam. 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.

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.

The Garden Flowers They Actually Ignore

Those stunning hybrid tea roses you’ve babied all season? Some flowers that aren’t so popular amongst hummingbirds include tulips, marigolds, roses, and lilacs.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plant them in your garden; it just means those won’t be the hummingbird hotspot that a tubular flowering plant will be. It’s good to have a balance.

Roses actually produce very little nectar compared to other plants. For example, trumpet vines, bee balm, and Fuschia plants all offer more nectar content than roses.

Their tubular shape is also really easy for hummingbirds to access with their long tongues, as opposed to roses.

Those stunning hybrid tea roses you’ve babied all season? Hummingbirds couldn’t care less.

These practical little creatures are after flowers with deep, tubular shapes that keep the nectar safe from rain and other insects. It’s like they’re following their grandmother’s advice about not judging a book by its cover.

The Insects Above Your Flower Beds

Here’s the secret most garden guides won’t tell you: hummingbirds aren’t just after your sugar water . Insects, an important protein source, are a close second to nectar.

Between trips to the feeder or to flowers, hummingbirds will eat hundreds of insects a day. Their love of these six-legged creatures can even help reduce pests in your garden!

Although nectar provides necessary carbohydrates, hummingbirds also consume insects for essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. By foraging on gnats, aphids, fruit flies, and spiders, hummingbirds obtain the protein and fat that they need.

Hummingbirds’ diets are made up of two things: insects and nectar. Insects give them protein, but nectar gives them the carbohydrates they need to fuel their very fast metabolism.

Here’s the secret most garden guides won’t tell you: hummingbirds aren’t just after your sugar water. Those tiny gnats and microscopic insects hovering above your flower beds provide crucial protein these birds need to survive.

Think of it as their version of a drive-through burger joint between nectar meals.

The Lookout Perch They Will Fight Over

Every hummingbird garden has one – that special lookout spot that becomes the avian equivalent of a corner office. There are a few reasons why birds might fight at the bird feeder.

One reason is territory. Birds often see bird feeders as their own personal space and will defend it against intruders.

Non-migrating species of hummingbirds like Anna’s hummingbird are known to be more peaceful, but will still sometimes fight with others to defend their favorite flowers such as impatiens. They may often sing to mark their territory, warn off intruders, and attract a mate.

(Though females will also sing in some instances). You may observe aggressive behaviors more typically in males as they fight to maintain a territory.

That Perfect Distance From Your Kitchen Window

These clever birds have figured out exactly how close they can get to your window without setting off your motion-detector lights. There is a “sweet spot” for placing feeders near windows, though.

If the feeder is very close to the window, birds departing your feeder won’t be able to obtain much speed. If they hit the window, they won’t be flying very fast when it happens!

A feeder that is within 3 feet of your window is safer than one that is 5 or 6 feet away. Hummingbird fans don’t need to hang tons of feeders to attract them to the yard.

In fact, just one feeder at a kitchen window can usually attract hummingbirds all season.

Their Slow Start to the Morning

Just like your grandmother insisted on her morning beauty routine, hummingbirds have their own dawn ritual. It can take hummingbirds one to two hours to fully wake up in the morning.

If you see a hummingbird hanging upside down, it’s probably still in torpor! Bird owners should clean and refill their bird’s water bowls daily.

If you are using a birdbath, make sure that you empty and clean it out once a week. By providing your bird with a consistent supply of fresh water, you can help ensure its health and well-being.

They Do Watch You Refill the Feeder

Don’t be surprised if you catch these tiny surveillance experts watching you refill their feeders through your kitchen window. I have experienced their return before I had my feeders out and was alerted to their arrival by their swooping past my kitchen window repeatedly as if to say: If you keep a feeder right outside your window where you can see it from your couch, desk, or kitchen, it makes bird watching effortless.

It can also improve the safety of your feathered backyard companions. While it may seem counterintuitive, using a window feeder can actually reduce window collisions in your yard.

The National Audubon Society recommends using window feeders as a way to reduce collisions. Some research has shown that window feeders and feeders placed close to windows actually lead to fewer collisions.

Creating the Ultimate Hummingbird Haven: Your Action Plan

Now that you know what hummingbirds are really looking for, here’s how to transform your garden into their dream destination. There are two ways to attract hummingbirds to your garden: the first and most important is to create native planting schemes which provide these birds with what they need – nectar and insects to eat.

Hummingbirds need nectar, which is best provided not by feeders alone but primarily through plants. They also need insects to eat, so you should plant your garden to attract insect life and hummingbirds to your garden.

Step two is making sure that these teeny-tiny birds also have proper cover and partial shade. Make sure to plant a few taller trees or bushes, and that you have an available water source such as a bird bath or small pond.

Place feeders in your garden close to nectar-producing flowers. The best hummingbird flowers are tubular in shape and red, orange, or yellow in color.

They are attracted to other colors as well, but these are favorites.

Now that you know what hummingbirds are really looking for, here’s how to transform your garden into their dream destination. Start by planting native flowers like bee balm, cardinal flower, and trumpet vine in clusters rather than single plants.

These provide the deep, tubular blooms hummingbirds prefer and create a more visible target from their aerial viewpoint.

Position multiple feeders at different heights and locations throughout your garden, but keep them at least 10 feet apart to reduce territorial squabbles. Clean feeders every 3-4 days in hot weather and weekly in cooler temperatures to prevent harmful mold and bacteria.

Use a simple 1:4 ratio of white sugar to water – no red dye needed since the feeder itself provides the visual attraction.

Leave some “messy” areas in your garden where spiders can build webs and small insects can thrive. These provide essential protein sources and nesting materials.

Install a small fountain or dripper near your flower beds, as the sound of moving water acts like a dinner bell for these tiny visitors.

Frequently Asked Questions About Attracting Hummingbirds

When should I put up my hummingbird feeders? Start about two weeks before hummingbirds typically arrive in your area. In most regions, this means early March in the South and mid-April in northern areas.

Keep feeders up until two weeks after you see your last hummingbird, usually into October.

How many feeders should I have? One feeder per hummingbird is ideal, plus one extra. If you’re seeing territorial behavior, add more feeders in different areas of your yard.

A single hummingbird can visit 1,000-2,000 flowers per day, so multiple food sources reduce competition.

Why did my hummingbirds suddenly disappear? This usually happens when natural food sources become abundant, during migration periods, or if feeders become contaminated. Check that your nectar is fresh and clean, and remember that disappearances during late summer often signal the start of migration.

Can I use honey or artificial sweeteners in feeders? Never use honey, brown sugar, or artificial sweeteners. Honey can promote harmful bacterial growth, brown sugar contains iron that’s toxic to hummingbirds, and artificial sweeteners provide no nutritional value.

Stick to plain white sugar mixed with water.

What flowers should I avoid planting? Skip double-flowered varieties, as they’re often bred for appearance rather than nectar production. Avoid flowers with shallow blooms like marigolds and zinnias, which don’t accommodate hummingbird beaks.

Also steer clear of heavily hybridized roses and most annual bedding plants.

Seasonal Hummingbird Garden Care

Spring preparation is crucial for early arrivals. Over the hot summer months, it is important to help hummingbirds in your garden with a feeder filled with cool nectar and make sure there are plenty of shade areas to help them beat the heat.

Migrating hummingbirds need plenty of nectar, which you should provide through native flowering plants and feeders. They also need insects to eat, so you should plant to make sure there are plenty of insects and other wildlife in your garden.

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.

What hummingbirds are actually looking for

	What the article says
Colours	Red, orange, pink and yellow
Perches	Bare twigs, or a purpose-made hummingbird swing
Water	Moving water; they also bathe in light rain
Nest material	Spider silk, to bind a walnut-sized nest
Feeder position	Light dappled shade or morning sun, not full sun
Flowers they ignore	Tulips, marigolds, roses and lilacs
Protein	Insects — a close second to nectar, not an afterthought
Territory	They will fight over a single high lookout perch
Windows	Either very close or well away — the mid distance is the problem
Mornings	It takes them one to two hours to fully wake up
When to hang feeders	About two weeks before arrival: early March south, mid-April north

Keep reading

• 12 Mistakes That Are Driving Hummingbirds Away From Your Yard
• 14 Ways to Make Your Hummingbird Garden Stand Out
• 13 Must-Have Features of Every Successful Hummingbird Garden