Tried and true methods of how to attract hummingbirds to your yard

• The three best ways of how to attract hummingbirds into your garden.

Hummingbirds will be flying to your yard to visit your feeders, flowers and water!

Hummingbirds are amazing!

They have a very fast metabolism. Their hearts beat from 500 to 1200 times a minute.

In order to feed their little bodies they eat about every 10 to 15 minutes. They consume half their body weight in food every day.

They may visit 1,000 to 2,000 flowers a day to satisfy their appetite.

Rufous Hummingbird

The amazing Rufous hummingbird in the photo migrates around 2,000 miles. Such a long flight for such a tiny bird.

How big are hummingbirds?

The smallest bird in the world is a hummingbird.

The bee hummingbird from Cuba is only 2 inches. They weigh from a half to three-quarters of an ounce.

They are amazing birds!

The largest hummingbird is the Giant Hummingbird that lives in South America. It is giant for a hummingbird at 8 inches in size.

15 types of hummingbirds that visit North America.

how to attract hummingbirds to your yard

Hummingbirds consume so much food every day. This is our clue for getting them to visit our yards.

1. Something for them to eat is the best way to attract hummingbirds. We provide them food in our hummingbird feeders.
2. We can also provide hummingbird plants, flowers and a suitable habitat.
3. We can also attract hummingbirds with water.

#1 feeding hummingbirds

Feeding hummingbirds is the best way of attracting hummingbirds to our yards.

They are voracious eaters. It's a joy seeing these tiny creatures coming to our porch, windows and our gardens.

How to attract hummingbirds.

• Yes, it's true - hummingbirds are attracted by red.

Consequently hummingbird feeders are made with red parts.

• Bright red or orange will get the attention of passing hummingbirds. They will come in to investigate the bright colors.

So one way to get a hummer's attention is to tie bright orange-red surveyor's tape to trees or shrubs near your hummingbird feeders and flowers. Your local building supply will normally carry this bright colored tape.

Or there are red plastic flags used to flag a long load of lumber. You may be able to get some red flags from them. Place them out in your yard on a fence, tree or shrub until the hummingbirds get used to coming to your feeders.

what do hummingbirds eat?

• Hummingbirds eat flower nectar. Flower nectar is approximately twenty-five percent sugar. This is nature's recipe for our hummingbird feeders.

• The hummers are mainly going for nectar, but they also eat pollen.

Do hummingbirds eat bugs?

• Hummingbirds also eat small insects and spiders. The insects and spiders add protein to the hummer's diet. Hummingbirds are adept at catching flying insects in mid-air. They also forage on plants and tree bark for insects.

Mother hummingbirds feed their babies regurgitated insects and spiders mixed with flower nectar. The babies grow on this protein mix for about three weeks and then they take off on their own.

hummingbird feeders

Hummingbird feeders should have bee guards.

Definitely get feeders that have red on them! They are great for attracting hummingbirds.

• Make sure the feeder has bee guards.
  
• Also, look for feeders with perches, so the hummer can sit down to eat.

Select feeders that will be easy to take apart and clean.

A small feeder is fine to start out.

Place the hummingbird feeders where they can be seen out a window. Or viewed from a deck or patio. We will want to enjoy the feeding hummingbirds.

A special treat are feeders that will attach to a window with suction cups.

#2 Provide plants and flowers for the hummers

We want the hummingbirds to feel safe and comfortable in our yards. How do we do that?

Flowers give the hummingbirds their natural food. And our trees and shrubs give them places to perch and nest.

how to attract hummingbirds with flowers

• Hummingbirds like tubular flowers.

They are great for attracting hummingbirds. They hold plenty of nectar for the hummers to eat.

Getting ready to eat

God made the hummingbirds especially adapted with long bills to reach deep down in the flowers. Most insects can't reach that deep into the flowers. They have a grooved tongue they use to lap up the nectar.

native plants are wonderful for hummingbirds

Many native plants have the tubular flowers hummingbirds prefer, they include;

• Beebalms - Monarda
• Honeysuckle - Lonicera sempervirens
• Sages - Salvia
• Columbines - Aquilegia
• Summer phlox - Phlox paniculata
• Trumpet vine - Campsis radicans

Give the hummingbirds a variety and flowers that bloom at different times. That will keep them coming to your flower garden.

They like red flowers, but they will feed from most any color flower, as long as it provides nectar.

Hummingbirds feed from the same flowers butterflies like.

hummingbirds like perches

Hummingbirds spend about eighty percent of their time perching. They take time to rest from their high energy activities.

Hummingbirds need perches.

Hummingbirds like to perch near their feeders and flowers. Once they find a good food source, they like to keep an eye on it.

• Leave bare branches or twigs near and above the hummingbird feeders and flowers.

It may not seem like a good gardening practice to the homeowner, but it makes perfect sense to hummingbirds.

provide hummingbird habitat areas

• Hummingbirds need some areas where they can be safe from predators and the weather.

Provide small trees, vines and shrubs to give the hummingbirds cover. Plant them around the edges of your property. They will do double duty as a living fence between you and the neighbors.

Hummingbird on the nest.

Hummingbirds like to build their nest close to their food and water supply. Smart birds, they are!

• They like to build their nest on a horizontal branch. Quite often they use lichens or spider webs when building their nest. The spider webs help make their nests expandable.

So, leave the spider webs in your shrubby areas. The hummers will use them to build their nest. They also will use the spiders for food.

#3 water attracts hummingbirds

Finally, but not the least - hummingbirds need water.

• Dripping water and fine misters are wonderful for attracting hummingbirds.
• Even just a sprinkler with a fine spray will work.
• Water dripping from a hose is also good for attracting hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds will come to the fine water and get themselves wet. Then they go to a perch and preen themselves.

They like water and they like to bath. Sometimes, if there is no fine mist available, we have seen them bathing in the dew on leaves.

• Hummingbirds are such amazing little birds. Invite them to your yard.

that's it - how to attract hummingbirds

1. Provide hummingbird food
2. Hummingbird habitat with flowers
3. Water

hummingbirds are a great god gift!