Hummingbird Feeders

Hummingbirds are so tiny, and so cool to watch! If youve had the pleasure of seeing these little birds frequently in your yard, its because you have what attracts them and meets their dietary needs. They visit your yard because you have the best food in the neighborhood, they like your flower gardens and/or your hummingbird feeder. If youre having a steady number of hummingbirds and you seem to be refilling the feeder often, then you definitely have system. But if youre like the rest of us, you had to go online and learn some hummingbird facts first. Did you know that hummingbirds get the energy they need to maintain their astonishing metabolism primarily from flower nectar and the sugar water they find at hummingbird feeders? Hummingbirds can be enticed to visit feeders filled with sugar water, especially when nectar bearing plants are nearby.

Its not necessary to purchase a commercially made hummingbird food. They can easily get the amount of sugar they need from a simple mixture of one part ordinary white cane sugar to four parts water, approximating the average sucrose content of many flowers favored by North American hummingbirds. This mixture is sweet enough without attracting too many other sweet-seeking insects, like ants. Change syrup frequently and wash feeder thoroughly, especially in warmer weather when nectar spoils rapidly. Hummingbirds will choose starvation over consuming spoiled feeder syrup. Now that you know what to feed them, you need to know what type of hummingbird feeders are going to attract the most birds. There are lots of styles of feeders available in garden centers and by mail order, mostly made of plastic, glass, or ceramic materials.

Any feeder can attract hummingbirds, as long as it holds fresh syrup, but a basin style feeder is much better than the inverted bottle-types. Feeders with perches are also good because perching saves a lot of calories, and gives hummingbirds a place to rest while theyre feeding. Unique hummingbird feeders and great selections of patio and garden accessories and more can be found online at www.birdsforever.com and www.birdwatchers.com, featuring lots of hummingbird feeder information including the most popular, highest quality, and unique hummingbird feeders and accessories. For more interesting hummingbird feeder facts, visit www.faq.gardenweb.com, to find out specifically what to look for when purchasing a feeder, including features like ant moats, bee guards, built-in perches, and ease of cleaning. As you can see, purchasing the right feeder in combination with the right nectar can make quite a difference in the number of hummingbirds that visit your yard.