What Do Hummingbirds Eat?

Understanding what hummingbirds eat will help you plan a backyard feeding station to sate hungry hummers. To attract hummingbirds with the right types of food…

Plant native flowers and flowering shrubs and trees that produce nectar-rich blooms. Red, tubular flowers will attract the most birds, and choosing hummingbird flowers that bloom throughout the season will ensure an adequate nectar supply for months. Consider removing flowers hummingbirds don't like and replacing them with better nectar-producing blooms instead.

Avoid spraying for insects or spiders in the garden or around your home, and do not knock down webs or otherwise disrupt the insects. Rely on hummingbirds and other insect-eating birds to provide natural pest control instead.

Use hummingbird feeders filled with a proper sugar solution to simulate natural nectar. Red feeders will attract hummingbirds, and a hummingbird nectar recipe of four parts water to one part sugar is closest to the sucrose levels of the most popular flowers. Do not use honey, molasses, fruit juice or artificial sweeteners to make hummingbird nectar, as none of them are adequate and some could be dangerous to the birds.

Provide nearby perches for hummingbirds to defend their favorite feeding areas. Many hummingbirds are extremely territorial, and they will use a perch as a lookout point for intruders. If they feel comfortable in the area, they will stay nearby and feed more easily.
Hummingbirds may be popular summer visitors at nectar feeders, but they eat many other things. Just as a good backyard feeding station will provide different types of birdseed and other suitable foods, providing different hummingbird foods ensures that these beautiful birds never leave your yard hungry.