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Hummingbird Feeders

	Perhaps you've just moved into a new home and was surprised to see a small bundle of frantic energy hovering outside your front door; or you've just noticed them for the first time appearing in your front yard. Hummingbirds are wonderful additions to your garden, providing hours of entertainment as they dart back and forth in an amazing show of defying gravity. Why not set up a feeder to encourage these little friends to stay longer?

Clear Pineapple Hummingbird Feeder

Fruit design
Metal, glass
5 x 14 inches

Balloon Hummingbird Feeder

A birdwatcher's delight
Made from plastic. Metal tube.
4 x 7 inches

Yellow Hummingbird Feeder

Blown Glass Design
About 7 Inches Tall

Blue Hummingbird Feeder

Made of Blown Glass
Easy to Hang
4 x 7 Inches

Yellow Teardrop Hummingbird Feeder

Made of Blown Glass
7 Inches Tall

Glass Hummingbird Feeder

Whimsical design
Colored glass
6 7/8 x 4 1/2 x 36 inches

Home > Garden Accessories > Bird Feeders > Hummingbird

Hummingbird Feeders

Of course you can go the extra distance and set up a special garden with flowers and vines that appeal to the hummingbird's unique tastes, but many prefer to set up an artificial station that can provide the vital nectar this winged marvel needs to survive. But did you know that the hummingbird doesn't live only on sugar water? It also eats soft-bodied bugs along with spiders and small flies, making them a welcome addition to anyone's garden.

The practice of setting up a feeding station probably started years ago with many different cultures, but Laurence J. Webster of Boston put the first commericially-available feeder on the market in the 1950's. Would you believe a Massachusetts Institute of Technology glassblower produced the original design? It looked like a long fat glass tube with small holes in the sides to provide the sugar water to the hummingbirds and wasn't pretty, but it did work. Of course since then literally hundreds of different designs have raced onto the market for the consumer.

But what should you be looking for when choosing a feeder? Well, let's look over our choices. Your feeder can be made of plastic, glass or ceramic; each presenting their own challenges for cleaning and continued use. Since the introduction of feeders into the hummingbird world is still a relatively new intrustion most hummingbirds have to learn how to use a feeder and will often choose one type over another for no visible reason. Don't be discouraged if your visitors become picky, just try to switch out the feeders until you find one that attracts them on a constant basis.

What you are going to be concerned with is the ease with which you can empty and clean out your feeder. No matter if you use homemade nectar or storebought cleaniness is an ongoing concern due to the amount of sugar in the water. Aside from the hummingbirds you can attract ants, flies and other insects to your feeder, creating a mess if you don't maintain your feeder regularly. Most people prefer the feeders with a small basin format, allowing easy access to deliver a thorough cleaning when needed.

Where should you place your feeder? Ideally you should place it near other flowers that the hummingbirds would frequent, providing them with another source of food. But if you don't have the climate nor the aptitude to have such a garden you may want to put them near a window so you can observe your visitors without disturbing them too much. Be sure to have blinds or some sort of shape on the window so that birds don't attempt to fly into your house under the mistaken impression that the glass isn't there. As well, placing your feeder near a tree or other large plants will also help encourage traffic by offering a resting place and camoflauge so they can feel safer instead of venturing out into the open too often to feed.

Remember to keep your feeder filled with sugar water, either homebrewed or the commercial variety and keep it clean. Ants and other insects will be attracted to the feeder so it's up to you to maintain it in good condition for your visitors to enjoy.

Hummingbirds can be a wonderful addition to your home and garden and a delightful example of the oddities of science. Why not add a hummingbird feeder to your front porch or garden to invite these little wonders into your life?

By Sheryl Nantus