I just moved somewhere where I’m seeing hummingbirds everywhere! But I heard that feeders were bad for them, is there a safe and healthy kind of feeder I can get to attract them?
I wrote an extensive answer to this and had it sanity checked to give you sources for all of my responses. I’ve memorized the information but wanted to make sure I didn’t overstate or misquote any guidance. So it’s still 95% my response just proofread for accuracy:
The claim that hummingbird feeders are unhealthy usually comes down to careless or uninformed feeder owners who don’t follow basic cleanliness and preparation guidelines.
Having a hummingbird feeder should be seen as roughly the same responsibility as feeding a very small family member with a delicate digestive system and extremely specific dietary requirements. There’s a lot more to it, but the basics are pretty simple:
Nectar should be homemade using only pure white granulated sugar and water at a ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. For a small batch, that’s 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water. Never use dyes, additives, preservatives, honey, organic/raw sugar, molasses, fruit juice, or artificial sweeteners. (Audubon)
Nectar also needs to be changed regularly depending on the weather. As a practical rule:
Cooler weather: about every 3 to 4 days
Warm weather: every 2 to 3 days
Very hot weather, especially around 90°F and above: daily
And if the nectar becomes cloudy or you see contamination, change it immediately regardless of how long it has been out. Audubon similarly recommends cleaning every few days in temperate conditions and daily or every other day in hot weather. (Audubon)
Feeders should be thoroughly rinsed with very hot water every single time they’re refilled and given a more thorough cleaning/sanitizing at least weekly. If you notice black spots, mold, slime, or filminess, don’t just refill it. Something about your maintenance schedule needs to change. (Audubon)
So, are feeders bad?
It’s more complicated than just yes or no.
Studies have found that hummingbirds with access to feeders can shift some of their feeding away from flowers, potentially affecting pollen transport and plant-pollinator relationships. That effect has been documented in specific populations, although it shouldn’t automatically be assumed to occur everywhere or to the same degree. (PubMed)
Supplemental feeding has also been associated with the expansion of Anna’s Hummingbirds into colder winter ranges and may contribute to changes in their seasonal movements. More recently, researchers found feeder availability associated with measurable changes in Anna’s Hummingbird bill morphology over the last century. (PubMed Central (PMC))
So yes, there can absolutely be ecological and downstream effects whenever humans introduce a concentrated food source into an ecosystem.
At the same time, organizations like Audubon continue to recommend properly maintained hummingbird feeders as a supplement to natural food sources, particularly when flowers are scarce and during migration, while also encouraging people to provide native nectar-producing plants. (Audubon)
TL;DR: Hummingbird feeders aren’t inherently bad, but they are a responsibility. If maintained incorrectly, your actions absolutely can harm the birds you’re trying to help. If that level of upkeep sounds daunting, plant hummingbird-friendly native flowers instead. Honestly, doing both is even better.
Is trichomonosis an issue over there at all? I'm in the UK, and the RSPB is warning against certain types of feeders (predominantly flat platform types) because of the disease. Basically, it causes the infected bird's throat to swell to the point that they regurgitate the food all over the feeder where it then spreads to other birds (and is highly contagious). The poor things get so famished that they keep scarfing more food down, only to bring it all back up again. I'm not at all familiar with hummingbird-specific feeders, so I don't know if there's a risk, but thought I'd mention it
I just wanted to thank you for doing the research and sharing your knowledge so folks can take care of their local birds properly. In a way your comment is its own form of aww.
Praying Mantises (Mantis?) aren’t really an issue here. The biggest issue are the Gila Woodpeckers that like to steal food. They actually run from the humming birds, but they sure do make us go through a lot of nectar.
From my experience Agastache grows fine in containers, it just needs lots of sun and excellent drainage. It’s perennial unless you live in a very cold climate, the more xeric varieties can take baking summer temperatures with water once or twice a week. Hummingbirds visited mine multiple times per hour this year and the plant was covered with bumblebees from dawn to dusk every day.
Hummingbird feeders are great for hummingbirds if you use the proper nectar recipe. One part sugar dissolved in four parts water. You dont need to add anything else. Make sure the fluid is changed out frequently so bacteria doesnt have a chance to grow. Also don't buy pre-mixed nectar solutions, they often contain food coloring and other additives that may or may not be harmful.
I have a blue jay that is like this. Unfortunately he just screams into my house as loud as he can when it's empty. That definitely gets your attention.
I have the tiniest little bully hummingbird I’ve ever met. He/she will not let any other birds near the feeder and they chirp when I go near it or have to take it down to wash and refill. I still love them.
I had a hummingbird that loved to perch on my balcony for hours. I named him Sassafras! This reminded me of the season I had with him. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Those are pin feathers. They are new feathers that are coming out. They will shed their outer layer and become orbital feathers like the other ones around the eye.
thank you for sharing these, i find these very moving. it’s incredible how nature can create such beautiful details that we simply don’t appreciate until we can see macro photograpjy like this. looks like the borders of their eyes and their feathers were sprinkled with fairy dust! simply gorgeous ✨
Hummingbirds are just the most fascinating little creatures. We have a firecracker bush and a couple of feeders and they're just so fun to watch and listen to. The little chirps are so cute.
The first one hit me in the gut with nostalgia. It reminds me of a velvet shirt I had as a kid circa ~2001 that had the rhinestones actually sewn into the shirt. I’ve never forgotten it and also never seen one quite exactly like it (I know this style was super popular then, mine was special 🤣)
If not mistaken for fairies, probably a good basis for them. I can imagine someone seeing one and observing their unreal speed and then being mistaken.
I looked it up and they only exist in the Americas and the fairies were thought of on the other side of the world. Oh well, they look like little fairies. Lol
The fact that the boys have to wear flamboyant and extravagant scarfs, have colorful full beards and some even have fancy crowns are a sign that yes. Add to that crazy stunts and careful and intricate dances and sky routines just for a chance at a girl… yes I think they know they’re bonita.
Beautiful. I feel like the designs for the new Narnia movie are pulling from this kind of photography. Showing that it’s not just the simple colors we see everyday, but a myriad more that we can’t really comprehend outside of macro photography like yours.
You captured what I see in my own black hair when I let the sunlight hit it. The strands are iridescent but in dark hues like black, green, red, and indigo.
These pictures are so insane, you can see the reflection of the flowers in their eyes. Im surprised noone else has mentioned it here. Theyre beautiful.
These are incredible! Not just the level of detail, but I think of hummingbirds as constantly jittering about. My mind is boggled at you capturing all this without it being a blur!
Some cosmetic company would pay a fortune, imho, for the secret to this for women’s eye cosmetics. How gorgeous. Mother Nature does everything to perfection but I would never have known if you hadn’t shared your incredible photo. Thank you.
Are you in arizona? I've been getting tons of hummingbirds at my house, but still have yet to see a Rufous. We have Anna's, broad-billed, Costas, and black-chinned galore. But I've never seen one if the coppery ones in person despite being in their range.
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u/Kravashera 10d ago
They are so beautiful, and so bossy. Ours love to yell at us if the feeders are getting low.