The Secret to Getting Hummingbirds to Stay Longer at Your Feeder

The jewel-toned flashes of a hummingbird are a fleeting delight in any garden, and these energetic visitors bring a unique charm. While the brief sips at a feeder are captivating, many keen observers have wished for these tiny dynamos to linger a little longer, offering more chances to admire their aerial acrobatics and iridescent beauty. You’re not alone in this desire! The secret to transforming a quick pit stop into a more leisurely visit lies in understanding the subtle needs and preferences of these fascinating birds. We have some practical and insightful strategies to create a welcoming haven that encourages hummingbirds to not just visit but to stay and enrich your garden with their vibrant presence.

Perches

Perches are important for hummingbirds for several reasons, and if you invest in them, you should find the birds spending more time in your garden. Hummingbirds have incredibly high metabolisms and need to rest frequently to conserve energy. Perches provide a place to do this without constantly hovering. They also offer a place for hummingbirds to observe their surroundings for potential predators. 

Male hummingbirds often use prominent perches to watch over their feeding areas and ward off intruders. They also use perches as a stage for their elaborate courtship rituals during the breeding season.

Natural Perches

When choosing plants and trees for your garden, try to pick native varieties of differing sizes and heights. Native shrubs and plants that naturally offer suitable perching spots are ideal. When pruning trees and shrubs, leave some thin, bare branches, especially near your feeders and flowering plants. Hummingbirds have tiny feet and prefer thin perches they can easily grip.

Purpose-Built Perches

Hummingbird swings are small, delicate swings specifically designed for hummingbirds. They can be hung near feeders or flower gardens and provide a comfortable resting spot. Look for ones with red accents to attract a hummingbird’s attention. You can also create your own simple perches by stringing thin wires (craft wire or coated wire) between branches or supports near your feeders. Ensure the wire is taut enough not to droop excessively. If you are very creative, try making your own perches using small dowels or interesting twigs decorated with beads (especially red ones) or colorful wire. Securely attach these near your feeders.

Feeder Design with Perches

Many commercial hummingbird feeders come equipped with perches around the feeding ports. This is a convenient way to offer resting spots right at the food source.

Placement of Perches

Position perches within a few feet of your feeders. This allows hummingbirds to rest and survey the feeder before and after feeding. Some perches should be in open areas, allowing territorial males to watch over their feeding territory, but you can also offer perches in more sheltered locations within foliage, providing a safe resting spot away from potential predators and harsh weather. Place perches in both sunny and shady locations to cater to the birds’ preferences at different times of the day.

Offer Multiple Feeders

Hummingbirds exhibit strong territorial behavior around feeders due to a fundamental drive for survival: ensuring a consistent and reliable food source. Often, a single dominant hummingbird, typically a male, will claim ownership of a particular feeder. They treat it as their personal nectar source. The dominant bird will perch nearby, often on a prominent branch or wire, with a clear view of the feeder. They constantly scan their surroundings for intruders. When another hummingbird approaches, the resident bird will engage in various aggressive behaviors to drive it away. If you offer multiple feeders, the hummingbirds will have more choices, and the territorial behavior should decrease. A single male bird at a single feeder is likely to try to scare all the other birds away, but with more feeders, the threat is much lower, and you should see more hummers staying longer in the garden.

Ensure a Consistent and High-Quality Nectar Source

It’s crucial to maintain high-quality nectar in your hummingbird feeders, especially in the summer heat, to keep these tiny birds healthy and coming back for more. In hot weather (above 85-90°F) change the nectar daily or every other day. High temperatures can cause the sugar-water to ferment and grow harmful bacteria very quickly. If the nectar looks cloudy or you see any mold, change it immediately, regardless of how recently you filled it. With fresh nectar available, hummingbirds are likely to stay around longer to feed.

Clean Feeders Thoroughly and Regularly

You should always clean your hummingbird feeders every time you change the nectar. Start by disassembling the feeder completely and then rinse all parts with hot tap water. Scrub all surfaces, including ports and crevices, with a brush (a dedicated brush is recommended).

For a deeper clean, soak the parts in a solution of 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts water for about 30 minutes, or use a mild, unscented dish soap, ensuring you rinse extremely well afterward to remove all traces.

If you see mold in your feeders, use a diluted bleach solution (1 part unscented household bleach to 9 parts water), soak for no more than 10 minutes, and rinse thoroughly, multiple times, until the bleach smell is completely gone.

Allow all parts to air dry completely before refilling.   

Use the Correct Nectar Ratio

The standard recipe is to mix 1 part refined white granulated sugar to 4 parts clean water. If you wish to be extra careful, you can boil the mixture. Bring the water to a boil, remove it from the heat, and stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved. Boiling can help to remove impurities and may slightly delay fermentation. Let the solution cool completely before filling the feeder.   

Never use honey (which can cause a fatal fungal disease), brown sugar, powdered sugar, artificial sweeteners, or any other additives. Plain white granulated sugar is the safest and best option. Also, no red dye is required as it is unnecessary to attract hummingbirds, and some dyes can even be harmful.   

Protect Feeders from the Sun

Hang your feeders in a location that receives afternoon shade. Direct sunlight will heat the nectar quickly, promoting spoilage. Consider hanging them under trees, eaves or using umbrellas or canopies to provide shade. Glass or ceramic feeders tend to retain less heat than plastic ones. The more comfortable the birds are, the longer they are likely not only to stick around but return year after year.  

Only Fill with What Will Be Consumed Quickly

In hot weather, avoid filling the feeder completely. Only put in the amount of nectar the hummingbirds are likely to drink within a day or two to minimize waste if it spoils. You can always refill more frequently.

Use Ant Moats

Ants can contaminate the nectar. Use feeders with built-in ant moats and keep them filled with water to prevent ants from reaching the sugar solution.   

Create a Hummingbird-Friendly Habitat

The tips above give you an idea of how to attract hummingbirds using feeders in the right way, but your garden environment is also key and can be a big help in attracting hummingbirds and encouraging them to stay longer. 

Plant Native Nectar-Rich Flowers

Try to focus on tubular red, orange, and yellow flowers, as these shapes and colors are what hummingbirds are naturally attracted to. Group similar plants together to create larger, more visible nectar sources. Choose plants with staggered blooming periods to provide a continuous food source throughout the hummingbird season (typically spring through fall, with some overwintering species in the south). 

Here are some native plant options that are generally known to attract hummingbirds.

• Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) has bright red, tubular flowers. It thrives in moist, shady areas and is a favorite of hummingbirds.
• Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) has red or orange, tubular flowers. It is a climbing vine that provides abundant nectar.
• Columbine (Aquilegia spp.) has unique, spurred flowers in various colors that attract hummingbirds in early spring.   
• Bee Balm (Monarda spp.) has showy, colorful flowers with a long blooming period. They also attract butterflies and bees.
• Salvia (Salvia spp.) has many native salvia species with tubular flowers that hummingbirds love. They are also drought-tolerant.
• Penstemon (Penstemon spp.) is also known as beardtongue. These plants have tubular flowers in a variety of colors and are very popular with hummingbirds.
• Native Azaleas (Rhododendron spp.) are flowering shrubs that provide beautiful blooms and are a good food source.

It’s crucial, however, to research the native plants that are specific to your region. Local nurseries or native plant societies can provide valuable information.

Provide Water

Hummingbirds don’t typically use bird baths. They prefer to fly through a fine mist or drink from droplets on leaves, so install a small misting device in your garden. They love to fly through the fine spray to bathe and drink. A slow-dripping water source above foliage can also create appealing droplets. If you prefer, a small fountain with trickling water can also be attractive, but any water source is likely to be very attractive to hummers.

Offer Shelter

Providing a variety of native trees and shrubs are good for perching, as already mentioned, but they also give shelter from the elements and predators, as well as for nesting sites. If you can provide nesting locations for them, these little birds are likely to stick around for much longer.   

Provide Nesting Materials

Don’t be overly zealous about removing spiderwebs. Hummingbirds use silk to bind their tiny nests. You can also subtly offer small amounts of soft plant down (like from dandelions or cottonwood) or animal hair (pet fur, if no flea/tick treatment is present) in a mesh bag or loosely tucked into plant branches. Avoid synthetic materials.

Create a Safe Environment

Avoid using pesticides and herbicides in your garden. These chemicals can harm hummingbirds directly and eliminate the insects they rely on for protein, especially during breeding season. Opt for natural pest control methods.   

Domestic cats are a significant threat to hummingbirds. Keeping them indoors, especially during peak hummingbird activity, will greatly increase the birds’ safety.   

Place feeders close to windows (within 3 feet) or far away (over 30 feet), or use window treatments like decals to break up reflections. Window collisions can be fatal for the birds and very unpleasant for the family to see.

Attract Insects

A slightly less-manicured garden can support a greater diversity of insects. Leaving the grass a little longer, some natural detritus or wild corners are great for encouraging insects. Hummingbirds will hunt insects, particularly in the breeding season, to feed their chicks.   

You can also include plants that attract small insects like gnats, fruit flies, and spiders, which are an important part of the hummingbird’s diet, especially for young birds. Flat-topped flowers, often yellow or blue, are good for this.   

By implementing these strategies, you can transform your garden into a thriving and welcoming habitat that will attract and support a greater number of hummingbirds year after year. Remember that native plants are the most sustainable and beneficial element of a hummingbird-friendly garden.

Final Thoughts

By following our tips, you are able to create a space where hummingbirds visit and stay, either to feed, court, or even to nest. Our last piece of advice is to observe. Watch what the hummingbirds do and appear to like, then replicate that. Give them a safe, peaceful space where they can rest, feed, and socialize, and they are likely to come back. Hummingbirds have a great memory and will return to their favorite feeding spots year after year. Get it right, and you will be receiving visits from them for years. Good luck!