Where To Hang Hummingbird Feeders

No wonder, the best place to hang your hummingbird feeder is where you can enjoy the delightful antics of these gorgeous fliers. However, that is not to say you should place these feeders in places where it becomes pretty difficult for them to lay their eyes on. Before hanging a feeder, you should try placing it out into the open where hummingbirds can peer from far away. 

Sometimes, moving the feeder to just a couple of feet away can make the hummingbirds go away. Plus, if you place the feeder poorly it can also cause some more problems like inviting other surprise guests (including insects and bees) to dine, and contaminating the sweet nectar that can make hummingbirds sick. Besides, it can also cause nectar spills if it is not positioned correctly. 

The placement of feeders is super important because if it is placed somewhere less visible to you, you may easily forget to refill regularly or clean it thoroughly. If you place the feeder just at the right spot, it will attract voracious hummingbirds to zip by and have them keep coming back for more. Moreover, it will add a splash of elegance to your backyard and will be a great fun for birders to watch. 

Learn More: How to Attract Hummingbird Feeders to your Yard

Useful Tips for the Placement of Hummingbird Feeders

In order to attract a lot of hummingbirds, you must keep basic factors in mind for a better placement of your feeders. 

If you tuck your feeder under some kind of roof, hummers may not be able to spot it. Likewise, if you place it inside the leaves, it may not catch the attention of hummingbirds. It is always better to hang your feeder in natural light, which will glow its vivid colors and patterns. As you probably know hummingbirds will more likely attract red colors (which is why most feeders consist of bright red colors), you can try placing red-colored things close to your feeder. In this way, they may find the feeder hanging nearby.

Learn More: Are Hummingbirds Really Attracted to Red Color?

If you really want to keep your nectar fresh and healthy for hummingbirds, you should always refill the feeder after about four to five days. The reason being, the sweet nectar sometimes leaks out of the feeder and may attract not-so-welcome visitors like bees, hornets, and crawling ants. That’s why it is super important to clean the feeder thoroughly first using a brush, and then do refills. But if you hang the feeder in a place which is not within easy reach, cleaning and refilling will always be a pain in the neck. For that reason, you must not position it too high so that it may become a nagging chore for you whenever you need to do refilling or cleaning. You can consider placing your feeder close to your decks or paths for easy access. 

Learn More: All About Hummingbird Perches

While you may want to pull a lot of hummingbirds to your yard, if you didn’t position the feeder correctly, it is quite possible that predators like cats may have set their eyes upon them. You should always look out for the safety of your colorful feathered friends by placing your feeder perhaps high enough so that they may not become an easy meal for predators. Some window mount feeders come with suction cups that you can attach directly to the glass of windows. With such feeders, you can have a super up close look at the birds in action and can also see any danger lurking nearby. 

If you have got a bird feeder for some larger birds, it is better to place the feeder for hummingbirds away from it. This is because these tiny fliers are pretty territorial creatures. They don’t really like feeding in places that are already occupied by other birds. You can have a separate feeding station for other birds so that they may not bother hummers. 

Watching little inquisitive creatures up close as they do aerial acrobatics is a delightful scene for just about everyone. If you attach the feeder on the glass of your windows or perhaps at the little gazebo, it will offer mind-boggling views for hummingbird enthusiasts. 

Putting your feeder in a place which is protected from strong winds is particularly important for avoiding leakages. Despite a lot of care, there is still a chance that the feeder may bump into something or the sweet nectar spills out due to a strong current of air. Plus, the rainwater may also seep through the openings and make nectar unhealthy for hummingbirds.  

If you put out the feeder in full sunlight, the sweet nectar cannot remain fresh and healthy all day long, especially during hot sunny days. Placing it under the tree shade or perhaps area receiving afternoon shade is also a favorable option to help keep the nectar safe and secure for hummingbirds. 

If you put out the feeder inside dense foliage, there will not be ample space for hummingbirds to maneuver around it. Unlike most other birds, these little birds typically hover around while sipping the nectar at the same time. Plus, they may also fly around it if they see any approaching danger. 

One of the most obvious places for putting a hummingbird feeder is to place it in a garden. You can also create a garden especially for hummingbirds with several blooms containing a lot of sweet nectar inside. Moreover, if there are plenty of crawling ants, it would be a paradise for these birds to make up for the protein-rich diet. 

Learn More: How To Design A Hummingbird Garden

If you are itching for stunning photography or perhaps simply want to enjoy the delightful antics of these perky aviators, you can place the feeder near the windows of your office, room or kitchen. However, if you hang it near the window or mount directly onto it, you should always use decals so that these tiny fliers may not bump into the window glass. 

Hang the feeder in the gazebo or through a gutter. However, you need to make sure that the feeder must not shine all day long in sunlight. It’s better to hang it in an area where it is shaded as the sun reaches its highest point in summer. 

If you have set up perches for hummingbirds under a shelter or something, it’s better to place feeders within just about 10 to 12 feet. In this way, the birds will feel safe and secure. 

In short, there can be many different places in your yard where you can place feeders. However, there are always some preferred options that make these feeders pretty convenient for your birds. That said, if you are just starting out as a birder, it can be pretty overwhelming at first to figure out where to hang your hummingbird feeders. If it makes you scratch your head, just place it anywhere you think is the most appropriate area.