How to attract hummingbirds: Proven strategies for attracting hummingbirds to your yard

Hummingbirds are incredible animals that migrate thousands of miles across North America every year. They are tiny, brightly colored, and are wonderful to watch as they move around a garden feeding on nectar.

You can attract hummingbirds to your yard with some careful planning. They may not arrive overnight but if you build it, they will come.

How long does it take hummingbirds to come to a feeder?

The answer to this question is: it depends!

The amount of time it takes hummingbirds to begin regularly visiting a garden depends on a lot of different factors. It takes more commitment than simply placing a single hummingbird feeder in your yard to begin attracting them consistently.

Some gardeners have success attracting hummingbirds within a few weeks while others work diligently over several years to build an environment that attracts hummingbirds. It is more art than science.

It will take some experimentation on your end to see what best attracts the hummingbirds in your area.

Feeder factors

Which feeder you select will impact how many hummingbirds are attracted to your yard:

• Hummingbirds are naturally attracted to the color red. Choosing a red hummingbird feeder increases the chances of attracting them.
• Familiar designs helps attract hummingbirds each year, especially with migratory hummingbirds in North America. Using similar feeders each year will help make your yard into a recognizable hummingbird destination.
• Location, location, location. Placing your hummingbird feeder somewhere that the birds feel comfortable feeding will help attract them. Partial shade (which provides shelter from the sun) and close proximity to shrubs or bushes (which provide handy perches) will increase your chances of attracting hummingbirds.
• Be sure to keep your feeder fully stocked with fresh nectar. If the feeder runs dry, or the nectar spoils, hummingbirds will quickly leave and search elsewhere. Would you come back to restaurant that served stale food and was always running out of menu items?
• Keeping the feeder clean is very important for attracting hummingbirds. A clean eating environment makes them more comfortable and keeps the feeder free of competition from insects that are attracted to sweet smells.

Habitat factors

An area appealing to hummingbirds around your feeder will help attract them to your garden:

• Where are you located? Is your garden along a migration route where hummingbirds only stop over for a brief period? Are you located in an area they spend extended periods to feed and breed in the summer? Do hummingbirds remain in your area for the entire year? The best strategies for attracting hummingbirds will depend on whether they plan to remain in your area for a long time or just a short rest on their journey.
• Is the area surrounding your yard or garden an attractive habitat for hummingbirds?
• Are the plants in your own yard or garden attractive to hummingbirds?
• Can hummingbirds find food, water, shelter, and shade while visiting your set up?

These habitat factors will influence whether hummingbirds come to view your yard as an oasis for them to visit or a place to pass through quickly en route to something more appealing.

Food factors

Putting up a hummingbird feeder will help attract hummingbirds to your garden but there are other food sources that you can offer as well.

• Native plants that bloom when hummingbirds are in your area will help attract them to your feeder. Hummingbirds are more likely to spend time in areas where food is plentiful and offered through diverse sources
• The nectar recipe you put in the feeder is very important. Hummingbirds are drawn to anything sweet but should only be fed pure white sugar. The best ratio to use is a 1:4 pure white sugar to water mix – nothing else. Using brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup may attract hummingbirds but will cause health complications in the long term.
• There is a myth that adding red food coloring to your homemade nectar will increase the chance of attracting hummingbirds. This is a myth! Hummingbirds are very sensitive to chemicals and red food coloring can harm them over time.
• Multiple feeders in your yard will also increase the chances of attracting hummingbirds. These birds are territorial, so offering them multiple food sources will increase the likelihood that the birds visit without having to compete for resources.

Following these proven strategies in your yard or garden will increase your chances of attracting hummingbirds.

What is your experience with these strategies? Did they work in your yard or garden?

Let us know what your thoughts are in the comments.

Here are some other articles we’ve written about hummingbirds:

• How to keep bees away from your hummingbird feeder
• Hummingbird vines: The best way to attract hummingbirds
• California hummingbirds

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