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Where Should Hummingbird Feeders be hanged?
As we head into spring and summers, we begin to foresee the arrival of these timid, fascinating hummingbirds. Most bird enthusiasts love attracting these creatures into their backyards.
The best time to hang your feeder is around the fall and summer season. As this time around, a lot of hummingbirds migrate into the US and nearby regions. Mid-march should be just the right period if you want to attract your hummingbirds early.
You should make sure that your hummingbird feeder is hung high, safely in the shade. It should be filled with enough nectar so that the birds can reach it. Putting your feeder near flowers or open fields is potentially advantageous.
Which is the Best Place to Hang Your Hummingbird Feeder?
Hummingbird feeders should most ideally be placed in your backyards to provide a sheltered feeder for the hummingbirds and to bring you absolute joy as well. So, where precisely should you hang your hummingbird feeder? Continue to read on to know more details
1. Within 10—15 Feet Away from Trees
Hummingbirds are quite timid and territorial. They are very space-oriented. To make sure they are safe from danger so your feeder should always be within near distance to trees. If your feeder is placed in the center of your backyard, they might not find it safe, and it is a possibility they will not feed on it for long.
Male hummingbirds are aggressively more territorial. They like to keep a watch on their feeders. You can place a perch nearby known commonly as a hummingbird swing, where the hummingbirds will sit, and easily keep a watchful eye on their feeder and chase away any intercepting birds.
You will never regret getting this swing!
2. Hang Your Feeder Where the Birds Can Easily Find it
One of the most important things while putting a hummingbird feeder is that it should easily be visible to the birds. It should be located high and out in the open. That way, passing hummingbirds can easily find the feeder and stop at it. Once the birds are regular in their visit, you can hang your feeder in a more secluded spot.
3. Decorate Your Hummingbird Feeder with Colors
Hummingbirds have a sharp eye for colors. They don’t have the greatest ability to hear, so you should make sure that your feeder is bright in color. Red, yellow, purple, blue all these vibrant colors will not only attract hummingbirds to your lawn but will also radiate a cheerful vibe.
If your hummingbird feeder is plain and simple, you can always decorate it with bright ribbons. Bright colored ribbons will specifically work better to attract the birds.
4. Where It Can Easily Be Taken Down for Cleaning and Refilling
While hanging your feeder, it is vital to place them high and at a safe distance, but you should always make sure that it is also within your reach.
You do not want to hang it somewhere from where you cannot get it down once you’ve placed it. Your hummingbird feeder will need to be kept clean because if you cannot maintain the hygiene, the birds will not feed on it.
You also need to get it down for refilling purposes, so it should be in the range where it is not difficult for you if you’re doing it on your own.
5. Hummingbird Feeder Must be Kept Away from Pets and Wild Animals
Many of us have household cats and dogs. If your hummingbird feeder is within their reach, they might harm the birds. So, to prevent this from happening, your feeder should be high enough from the ground, at least 5-6 feet high, where pets or other predators cannot get a hold of them.
Try not to hang your feeder around bushes or fences. Cats can attack the birds by hiding in the bushes. You don’t want any stray or household cat pouncing and feeding on these tiny beautiful creatures.
6. Place Your feeder Away from the Windows
Birds don’t have the sense of clarity to distinguish doors and windows from open skies. It is unclear if they think whether they can pass through it or not.
Ideally, if you are hanging your hummingbird feeder near a window, try to hang it far away, at least 25 ft away, to make sure the birds don’t collide and hurt themselves.
But if you do not have proper space, you can put it 3-4 ft away from the windows. This distance might seem quite close considering the point above, but, if you are out of options and do not have any other space to hang the feeder, you’re not left with much choice.
You can perhaps try placing stickers or something bright that will differentiate the glass from the skies.
7. At a Distance from Other Feeders
There isn’t a law for how many hummingbird feeders you can hang. It solely depends on what you prefer. If you want to place multiple hummingbird feeders, you should only be cautious to place them with enough distance between them so that the birds can fly around with ease and don’t fight over spots.
Also, usually there is always a bully hummingbird that is possessive about its feeder and chases other birds away. Hanging multiple feeders at a distance from one another will address this issue.
8. Locate Your Feeder Where You Can Easily See it
It is a treat to the eyes to watch these dazzling birds as they feed on the feeder. However, it should not be hung in a place where frequent visitors pass by, such as the main entrance of your house. Try to find a spot that is easily visible to you from the inside of your home, but is also far away from doors and windows.
9. Place Your Hummingbird Feeder Near a Flower field
If you are a nature lover and have planted beautiful flowers in your garden, make sure to hang your hummingbird feeder near them. This will attract a lot of hummingbirds at once. Hummingbirds may prefer flowers of a certain color because they relate it with a higher nectar reward.
You can add a saucer-type feeder to attract many hummingbirds at once as well. An advantage of this saucer-type feeder will be that it does not leak like other feeders which can prove to be convenient and handy.
I recommend this awesome feeder to attract hummingbirds!
How to Make Hummingbird Food? What Do You Put in Your Feeder?
As much as the place is important for hanging the feeder correctly, it is also very significant what you fill your feeder with.
The nectar you fill your feeder with is the classic and safe recipe for hummingbirds. It has a sugar to water ratio of 4:1, i.e., 4 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar.
First, take four cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add one cup of granulated sugar (It must be white; no brown or dyed sugar would do). Mix it until the sugar has dissolved. Let this mixture cool at room temperature and pour it into your hummingbird feeder.
Do’s and Don’ts
- You should change this nectar regularly after every 5-7 days to keep it from rotting.
- Keep your feeders clean from fungus and bacteria as they are harmful to hummingbirds.
- Honey is prohibited because it can cause side effects and damage to hummingbirds.
- Do not put your feeder in the sun all day; this will spoil the nectar.
- Put your feeder where pests and predators cannot reach it.
Keep Reading!
Once the season starts setting in, you will begin to see hummingbirds flocking in your backyard. Before this period, look for places and think of options for where you can hang the hummingbird feeders. If you have experience of doing so from the past, you would know the ideal locations.
Make sure the feeder is easily accessible and in good sight and reach so that you can keep them clean and free from getting molds or bacteria. Decorating your feeder always works best to increase the likelihood of attracting hummingbirds towards your feeder.
If you want to learn where you can get the right feeders, we have you covered. Just visit our post about top hummingbird feeders:
Are you a hummingbird lover? Make this adorable little bird visit your garden by adding one of these top-rated feeders to your backyard.
By
David A. Swanson
Bird Watching USA
My name is David and I'm the the founder of Bird Watching USA! I started Bird Watching with My father-in-law many years ago, and I've become an addict to watching these beautiful creatures. I've learnt so much over about bird watching over the years that I want to share with the world everything I know about them!
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David A. Swanson
Bird Watching USA
My name is David and I'm the the founder of Bird Watching USA! I started Bird Watching with My father-in-law many years ago, and I've become an addict to watching these beautiful creatures. I've learnt so much over about bird watching over the years that I want to share with the world everything I know about them!
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