Humming Bird Feeders

This page is about Humming Bird Feeders. Humming Birds are small birds, native to America, whose name is derived from the hum of their wings as they fly.

They hover by flapping their wings 12-90 times per second and are on of the few bird species who can fly backwards.

The birds feed on plant nectar which are rich in sugar. They prefer nectar which is more than 10% sugar, rejecting lower concentrations. While the sugar is a good source of energy it does not provide adequate nutrients, these are obtained by feeding on insects and spiders.

Humming Birds  spend about 10% of their time feeding with the balance sitting or perching. Flying is very energy intensive so isn’t the main part of their day.

The birds have many small meals daily and can consume up to 5 times their body weight in nectar.

Humming birds often take water from man made feeders. These allow us to watch humming birds up close while providing the birds with an alternative source of feed. This is an important alternative food source  especially when flowers are less abundant.

There are many different styles of Humming bird feeders available from a wide range of suppliers.

When selecting a humming bird feeder here are some factors to take into account:

• Ensure it is really easy to clean your feeder. A thoroughly clean feeder will attract more birds and be more healthy for them too.
• Look at the instructions to check that the feeder recipe is printed on the feeder for quick reference.
• Be sure the feeder is resistant to the wind so that the contents do not spill in rough weather
• Check the feeder will keep water out when it is raining. This will prevent the feed solution from getting diluted.
• Always get a small feeder to start with until you determine how heavily used the feeder will be at your location.
• Try to get a unit with built in perches to allow the birds to sit while they feed.
• Bees are attracted by the colour yellow, so look for a model without any yellow to minimise the amount of bees attracted to your feeder.
• You also would like a unit which will protect it from ants. This is usually achieved by the use of moats which are either add-on of built into the Humming Bird feeder.
• Because Humming Birds are attracted to the colour red, try to get a unit which has a lot of red on it, rather than relying on dying the feed syrup to attract the birds.

And finally some suggested don’ts with Humming Bird Feeders.

Don’t use a honey water solution in your feeder. This can ferment rapidly and can culture a bacteria deadly to Humming Birds.

Avoid Commercial Nectar mixes or red colouring. Dying have been shown to have some interesting effects on humans, there is no proof they affect the animals but why take the chance ?

Similarly for nectar mixes. They are expensive and contain nutrients the birds just don’t need.

The recommended sugar solution mixture for hummingbird feeders is four parts water to one part white sugar. Use water straight out of the tap, just heat then add the sugar stirring vigorously. Allow to cool.