SHRUBS
- Hummingbirds lap up sweet nectar from flowers, thanks to their needle-like bills and long grooved tongues. These birds rely heavily on this liquid food as just 10 percent of their diet is composed of non-nectar food sources.
- Add some hummingbird-friendly native flowers to your yard along with a mix of long trees for perches. Also plant some vines and shrubs to attract more birds.
- Always avoid growing exotic plant species in your garden. Instead, plant some native species like bee balm and trumpet honeysuckle.
- Since hummingbirds are likely to get attracted to red, orange or pink colors, fill your garden with such tubular shaped bright flowers.
- Explore hummingbird habits and learn what kind of native flowering plants hummingbirds typically choose to feed in your area. Just pick out the same species of shrubs and plant them together. Besides, for feeding hummingbirds all year round, it’s better to have flowers that grow during different times of year.
- Perches are super important for hummingbirds to take a break. For that, just throw some small tree branches along with some tiny twigs on the bush pile.
- Do not use insecticides or pesticide chemicals in your yard.
- If there are more hummingbird-friendly yards nearby, it will draw more birds to your yard. Try to create a corridor of hummingbird habitat by educating more and more people living right next to you.
- The favorable nesting sites for hummingbirds are close to their food sources. These birds typically build nests on tree limbs inside the protective cover, which means if you plant some deciduous trees around the edges of your garden, it provides a suitable place for them to nest on. Actually, hummingbirds use lichens and spider webs as their nest-building materials.
Learn More: A Beginner’s Guide to Hummingbird Nests
PERCHES
Hummingbirds need to take a break from nesting and they seek to find safe places to rest. Plus, they also require some high place to guard their territory and look out for any potential danger. Make sure to have perches in your garden with different heights and distances. Add some perches in open places as well as in hidden areas. While open perches will be used for protecting their territory, hidden ones provide shelter in freezing nights.
Learn More: All About Hummingbird Perches
INSECTS
- In addition to nectar, these birds also need to consume insects to help keep their plumage in top condition. Hummingbirds get this protein by consuming pollen and bugs. They are able to grow new feathers with the help of a protein-rich diet. Hummingbirds flutter through the air swiftly and are specialized in hunting flying bugs. They can easily extract bugs from spider webs and some from the leaves.
- Hummingbirds feed mainly on nectar but arthropods also form the most important component of their dietary habits. In fact, the bugs and spiders turn out to be an essential ingredient during nesting season. This is because the hatchlings depend almost entirely on insects to grow. It is therefore very important to keep in mind to never use pesticide chemicals in your yard.
- Add some insect-pollinated shrubs along with some flowers pollinated by hummingbirds.
- It would be great if you add some banana peels or perhaps any overripe fruit in a basket. Now hook this basket from one end and place it close to the hummingbird feeder. After sipping nectar from the feeder, hummingbirds will be very happy to find easy protein food nearby.
WATER
Hummingbirds do need a basic birdbath to remove any kind of residue off their feathers and also keep their plumage in great condition. If you have any misting device in your garden, it is good enough to provide sufficient water for bathing. Hummingbirds like to bathe by rubbing their feathers against wet foliage or even small droplets on the leaves will do the job for them.
Hummingbird Feeders
When hummingbirds leave their natural habitat during spring and fall seasons, they seek out nectar-rich flowers in the suburbs. Hummingbird feeders provide essential nutrients for the hummers and are, therefore, vitally important for the survival of these desirable birds. Make sure you follow the proper guidelines for feeders so that visiting hummingbirds may find your feeder to be the most important nutritious stopover.
Learn More: Best Glass Hummingbird Feeders
First off, you need to figure out where to hang your hummingbird feeders. For attracting more birds to your backyard, place a handful of feeders far away from one another. If you are hanging a number of feeders, it is important to note that the birds from one feeder may not be able to see other hummers hanging around in a nearby feeder.
Hummingbird nectar recipe is fairly simple and easy. Just boil the water for up to two minutes and mix white sugar with this water on the ratio of 4:1 (four parts water and one part sugar). Always keep in mind, do not use red dye or artificial sweeteners for the nectar.
To avoid fermentation, make sure to place this feeder in a shaded area.
In hot weather, it’s better to change the nectar twice a week so that sweet liquid does not get too cloudy due to mildew buildup, which is harmful for the birds.
Be sure to thoroughly clean the feeder using a brush and a vinegar solution. Take four parts of water and combine it with one part of white vinegar. Additionally, you can take a few grains of dry rice and then add them to this solution. Now move the feeder from side to side with force. In this way, these rice grains will clean the reservoir thanks to their abrasive characteristics.
Once you have finished with the cleaning, it’s time to refill it with sweet liquid. However, before doing refills, it is important to wash the feeder three times with warm water.
Learn More: Best Leak Proof Hummingbird Feeders
