I consider hummingbirds to be the most interesting of all wild birds. I love watching them as they dart around the yard looking for hummingbird food and water. Hummers can fly so fast from one side of your yard to the other that they are hard to follow. Making sure that hummingbirds are regular visitors to your yard is easy, just supply a food source.

Adding natural sources of hummingbird food to your yard is the best way to attract hummingbirds. Add a few hummingbird feeders to your garden and you can have hummingbirds near your home from spring until fall. Natural sources of hummer food are really easy to set up and maintain. These plants not only attract hummingbirds but they will also make your yard more attractive. Most flowers that attract hummers are red and very attractive.

Natural Hummingbird Food

Hummingbird nectar is sipped from flowers, usually red ones. Petunias, fuchsia, red columbine , trumpet vine and red bee balm are just a few plants that will attract your winged friends. The plants simply need sun and water to grow and the birds will find them on their own. Tiny flying insects are another natural food source for hummingbirds.

"Artificial" Nectar for Hummingbirds

You don't need a large yard to attract hummingbirds, in fact you don't need a yard at all. Whether you live in a condo, an apartment or in the city you can attract hummingbirds. Hanging flower baskets will attract hummingbirds and they don't require a lot of space. You can also use hummingbird feeders in small spaces. They are available in many sizes and shapes. You can hang them from windowsills, under your eaves or even attach them to a window.

When using hummingbird feeders look for ones that have red coloring on them. Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. Hummingbird feeders come in many shapes and sizes but that is more a personal preference. The hummingbirds only care about the nectar inside.

Hummingbird Feeders

Hummingbird feeders are available in two styles - bottle and dish. Bottle feeders are upside down glass or plastic bottles fitted with feeding tubes extending from the bottom. Many bottle feeders feature a red plastic flower to help attract hummingbirds. You may also find bottle feeders that have bee-guards on the feeding ports to stop flying insects from invading your feeder. Hanging your bottle feeder out of direct sunlight may keep it from leaking. Leaking is caused when the sugar water gets too hot and expands.

Some dish style hummingbird feeders are made out of plastic others are made out of blown glass. The plastic feeders are basically a dish with a cover. The cover has multiple feeding ports built in. The feeding ports are usually shaped like flowers. Having feeding ports on top helps to discourage flying insects from invading your feeder. The blown glass feeders are usually ball shaped with several feeding ports on top. They are often beautiful pieces of art. Many dish feeders include a storage bottle above the dish to decrease the number of times it has to be filled. I think the dish style feeders work better than the bottle style.

Hummingbird Food Recipe

Making your own hummingbird nectar is easy. The only thing you need to remember is four parts water, one part sugar. You can make as much as you need just follow the 4 to 1 formula. Some people say that a stronger ratio of 4 parts water and 2 parts sugar will attract hummingbirds faster to a new hummingbird feeder location.

Boiling the water before adding the sugar will help the mixture blend thoroughly. You can also just stir the sugar into cool water but it will take longer to blend. Do not add red food dye to the mixture, it may be harmful to the hummers that eat it. If you have a problem attracting hummingbirds just tie a few strips of red cloth the feeder. The color and movement should draw them to your feeder. If you make extra nectar just store it in the refrigerator until you need it. The mixture will keep for a few weeks if kept cold.

Keep putting hummingbird food out even into the fall. The hummingbirds will migrate when they are ready, whether or not you have hummingbird food out. When your feeders are out just before they leave, they can bulk up and be guaranteed energy for their long southern flight.

Attracting hummingbirds gets easier each year. Studies have shown the hummers return to reliable food sources year after year.