8 Different Types of Hummingbird Feeders

Each different kind of feeder has its own advantages. Some of them are made of plastic while others have glass construction. Likewise, some feeders are pretty easy to refill and thoroughly clean too. By and large, hummingbird feeders differ in the shape of the bottle as well as the type of material with which they are made. 

8 Different Types of Hummingbird Feeders

If you flip the bottle over to any base, it will turn into an inverted-style feeder. Thanks to the trapped air inside, the sweet liquid stays inside with the air pressure within this inverted reservoir. 

Learn More: Best Glass Hummingbird Feeders with Perch

As the name suggests, this kind of feeder has bowl-shaped reservoirs from which hummingbirds can sip by probing through feeding ports. 

Top-fill feeders have this big advantage of being ultra-easy to refill, thanks to the wide mouth opening at the top. With these feeders, you don’t have to spend a lot of time refilling. You just have to remove the lid from the top and pour in the sweet nectar. Apart from being convenient, such feeders prevent wastage of any unwanted nectar. Since most of them have removable base and flower ports, this makes it pretty easy to clean too. 

Bottom-fill feeder is the most traditional type of feeder as it fills through the opening at the bottom part. However, once you fill this feeder, there is one little tricky step: you’ll have to invert the bottle upside down and you’re good to go. Typically, such feeders have large reservoirs and can also hold multiple ports to feed a lot of birds simultaneously. When there is time to do refills, you just have to unscrew the bottle from the base. 

Hummingbird feeders are often available in a variety of elegant styles and designs. Some of them are crafted of thick glass with embossed bird details on them, that give your backyard a more rustic appeal. These attractive feeders are not only enticing to these backyard beauties, but they are also aesthetically pleasing. Since most of these are typically made of glass, they are less likely to drip and also super easy to clean which is important to prevent mildew buildup. Last but not least, not only do they add a splash of style to your yard, but they also attract swarms of hummingbirds thanks to the vibrant shades and patterns.  

Plastic feeders have their own distinct and impressive advantages that other feeders simply cannot have. Despite being made of plastic, these feeders look almost as beautiful as any other which is why most backyard birders prefer to have them. But they tend to have an added advantage over glass feeders. If you compare glass with plastic feeders, you’ll come to know that even though glass feeders tend to be more attractive, colorful and eye-catching, they are more fragile and can easily break apart. Plastic feeders, on the other hand, are unbreakable and more durable than glass, which further means they are less likely to drip too. Unlike glass models, they are more affordable as well. Last but not least; these feeders are not going to heat up in summertime and help keep the nectar fresh and healthy all the time. 

Thanks to the striking patterns and colors, glass feeders add a splash of elegance to just about any backyard. They are normally exquisite-looking and sturdy in construction. Plus, they tend to hold impressive amounts of nectar, thanks to the large bottle reservoir. Most of them have large threaded mouths, which makes refilling and cleaning a cinch. Since the bottle itself is made of thick glass with colors embedded under the glass layers, it is resistant to fading. If you snugly screw down the base with the glass reservoir, these feeders won’t drip at all. 

Learn More: Best Round Glass Hummingbird Feeders

Getting an up-close look with these amazing little creatures in action is always an enchanting and memorable experience. Window-mount feeders have an added advantage since they attach directly to the dry glass of your windows with several suction cups. These feeders give you an unobstructed view of the hummers zipping by and sipping nectar from it. Because of their smaller size, they are normally budget-friendly too.