[Title]  [text TOC]  [image TOC]  [Site Search]    [Donation] 

	Hummingbird Feeder

See the Activities section for more instructions, hints and tips.

Hummingbirds are jeweled helicopters of the garden! It's fun to watch them fly around visiting flowers and occasionally catching a bug out of the air.

Hummingbirds are one of God's most amazing creations.

• Their heart rate is 250 beats per minute at rest and 1200 in flight.
• They fly at 30 mph and reach 60 mph in a dive.
• In a dive they experience up to 9 times the force of gravity. That's similar to what a jet fighter pilot experiences.
• They can fly sideways, backwards, and hover.
• Their wings beat 40-80 times per second.
• They can fly non-stop 500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico in 20 hours.
• If you compare the speed based on size (body length)
  • Jet fighter - 150 body lengths per second
  • Peregrine falcon - 200 body lengths per second
  • Space shuttle on re-entry - 207 body lengths per second
  • Anna's hummingbird - 383 body lengths per second

And all this in a package 3.5 inches long that only weighs 1/2 oz. - about what a penny weighs. To do this they need a lot of high power food - sugar. They eat 1/2 or more of their body weight every day in nectar.

The ideal shape of the container is 3 to 5 inches in diameter, about 1 inch deep, and with a flat lid (not indented as that collects rain water). Check in groceries and drug stores. You can find suitable containers in cake decorations, diary, produce, and soup.

This type of feeder is very easy to clean and won't drip. Drips are bad because they waste nectar and attract bees and wasps. This feeder doesn't hold a lot of nectar because you need to replace it frequently during the summer because it spoils.

You can use either E-6000™ or hot glue for this project.

Fortunately, hummingbirds are not picky about looks! As long as you catch their attention with something red, they will investigate it and find the nectar.

1. Prepare the lid. This can be done ahead of time. Make a hole in the very center of the lid so it will hang level. Use a drill or poke a hole with a nail. There is usually a mark in the center of the lid that is left over from the molding process.
2. Cut the red foam to fit the lid. Roughen up the container lid with sandpaper. Glue the red foam onto the lid. Poke a hole in the center of the foam through the center hole in the lid.
3. If you want, you can put red foam around the sides of the bowl. Cut it to size and glue it in place. Use rubber bands to hold the foam in place while the glue dries.
4. Put a nut and washer on the eye bolt and insert it into the foam and lid. Put a washer and nut onto the bottom of the eye bolt. Hand tighten the nuts.
5. Cut out three or four circles from the yellow foam about 1 inch in diameter (the size of a quarter) for the flowers.
6. Glue the flowers evenly spaced around the edge of the red foam.
7. Using a 1/8" hole punch, make holes in the center of the flowers through the lid and red foam. If you make the hole larger in diameter, wasps will try to get in and if you make it smaller, the hummingbird's beak won't fit.
8. Put a wire through the eye bolt and twist the end securely. Twist a loop in the opposite end of the wire. You may need to use a hook (made out of a coat hanger or other stiff wire) or string to hang the feeder from a limb. If you use 18" of 1/8" diameter wire, you can use the extra wire to make a perch which the hummingbirds will appreciate.

Here in Texas, we mostly see Ruby Throated Hummingbirds. They have a range from Central America all the way into Canada. In the United States you'll find them east of the Mississippi River. They are very territorial and will chase others away. It is unusual to see two at a feeder at the same time.

It's also hot here. Nectar spoils quickly. Feeders must be emptied, cleaned, and refilled every day or two.

To make the best of the weather and their aggressive habits, use a number of small feeders that are out of sight of each other (think front, back and sides of house or opposite sides of a tree). Since they only eat a couple of ounces out of every feeder each day small feeders don't create a lot of waste.

In the western United States, the hummingbirds are more social and you will find many of them at a feeder at the same time. In this case, larger feeders make more sense.

The best container I've found is a microwaveable 7.25 oz. soup container from Chef Boyardee™. It is 3.5" in diameter, and 2.5" tall (which is a little tall). It comes with a red plastic lid that even has holes! When the container is shortened, as directed below, it holds about four ounces of nectar.

To prepare this soup container:

• Clean it out well and remove the label.
• With a very sharp knife (it can also be done with a hack saw), cut the bowl about 1/2" below the lip.
• Use sandpaper to roughen up the inside of the lip and the outside of the bowl.
• Put a bead of glue all the way around the top outer edge of the bowl and slide it into the top of the lip section. Make sure the lip and bowl are firmly seated together.
• After the glue has dried, take a sharp knife and trim off any of the bowl that sticks up above the lip of the container, so that the lid will fit securely.
• The metal lip tends to rust. You can prevent this by spraying the lip with a coat of acrylic spray paint or just make another feeder when the rust gets too bad.

To make nectar, take 4 parts of water and 1 part white granular sugar, sometimes called table or cane sugar (for example, 4 cups of water and 1 cup sugar). Bring the water to a boil, add the sugar, stir, and bring to a boil again. Let cool. The nectar will stay fresh in the fridge for a couple weeks. You can re-use water or soda bottles to store the nectar after rinsing them out well. Mark the bottles so no one drinks them by accident.

Don't substitute honey or anything else for the sugar.

Don't use any red food coloring.

Boiling the nectar is important because it kills bacteria, mold, and yeast that like to grow in sugar water and can harm hummingbirds.

Fill the feeder about 3/4 full. Do this in the late evening when hummingbirds have stopped feeding. You will be filling the feeder with cold nectar. Filling it in the evening allows the nectar to warm up over night. You don't want to give the hummingbird a "brain freeze"!

Don't forget to empty, clean, and refill the feeder every 3 or 4 days (every day or two if the temperature's over 90 degrees). If you leave the nectar longer, it will spoil and nasty things will start to grow in it.

If you see any black spots in the nectar or container or the nectar gets cloudy, throw it all out and make a new batch and store it in a new container.

The location of the feeder is very important. It should be hung in a location that's easy for you to frequently observe and enjoy the activity. This may be on a patio or outside a high traffic area inside your house, maybe near a large window. Hang the feeder from a tree limb, a post, or a hook. Try to pick a shady location. If the feeder is in the sun, the nectar will spoil more quickly.

When you first put up a feeder, don't be disappointed if you don't see any activity for a week or two or more. Know when hummingbirds visit your area and be patient. It may take them a while to discover your feeder. It helps if you have flowers nearby that will attract them.

Don't forget to keep emptying, cleaning, and refilling the feeders every few days. The nectar will spoil and start growing nasty things even if hummingbirds are not visiting.

Cleaning the feeder is also very important. Clean it and refill it every 3 or 4 days. Always use hot water, don't use soap. If you notice the remaining nectar is cloudy or you see black spots of mold you've got something growing in the feeder that can harm hummingbirds. Rinse the feeder completely in a solution of 10% Clorox (1 part Clorox and 9 parts water), scrub, and then rinse thoroughly.

Nectar goes bad faster in temperatures above 90 degrees so change it every day or two.

If you have problems with ants visiting your feeder, it will keep hummingbirds away. Put a glob of Vick's VapoRub™ on the wire the feeder hangs from, but away from where a hummingbird might touch with feet or wings. Replace it as needed.

You shouldn't have problems with wasps and bees at a feeder of this style unless you make the flower holes too large in diameter. Wasps and bees don't have long tongues like hummingbirds so they can't reach the nectar stored below in the bowl of the container.

Salvia coccinea	Agastache cana	Cuphea ignea

Hummingbirds are attracted to tubular shaped flowers. Some examples are shown in the photos above. They seem to prefer the colors red and orange. From my experience, some of their favorite flowers include:

• Mimosa tree - Albizia julibrissin
• Trumpet vine - Campsis x tagliabuana 'Madam Galen'
• Turks cap - Malvaviscus drummondii
• Sage - Salvia coccinea and gregii
• Hummingbird Mint - Agastache cana
• Sunset Hyssop - Agastache ruestris
• Flame Acanthus - Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii
• Cigar plant - Cuphea ignea

Check what local nurseries recommend - especially ones that sell native plants.

Many lists of plants that attract hummingbirds can be found on the Internet and in books. But you have to be careful with these as many of them list flowers that hummingbirds will "visit", but don't "love". A good example is lantana. I have several lantana in my landscape, but have never seen a hummingbird visit them. I believe that's because I have many other flowers that they really prefer. So, do you want to plant flowers that hummingbirds might visit or one's they love to visit?

Since hummingbirds need a lot of nectar every day, they need a LOT of flowers. One or two or even a hundred flowers may not be enough. Many of the hummingbird's favorite flowers are prolific bloomers.

Once hummingbirds are visiting your feeder frequently, try to get them to eat from your hand. This is best done in the evening. Hummingbirds will try to get a good feed just before they settle down for the night. Sit in a chair near where the feeder was hung. Get comfortable, you may have to sit for 5 to 30 minutes.

Hold the feeder in your hand and rest your elbow on the arm of the chair. Be very still and try not to move. Don't be startled when they buzz around you checking out the new decoration in their yard (you). They couldn't hurt you if they tried. The wind from their wings will tickle your hand. You will barely be able to tell when they land on the feeder.

Once you get them eating out of the feeder in your hand, try using just a small bowl or lid. Decorate the lid with red paint, ribbon, or cloth and fill it with nectar. Hide the feeder. Sit near where the feeder was hanging. Hold the lid in the palm of your hand. Hummingbirds may even land on your fingers.

This is a real thrill. It's so neat to see them up close. We don't often get to see a wild animal behaving naturally that close. As you are sitting there marveling at their colors and flying capabilities, remember some of the facts from the top of this page.