If you live between Southern Alaska and the Southern tip of Argentina, you may well be lucky enough to see hummingbirds as this is the only area on the planet that they exist. They are most densely populated through the tropical regions of this area but you can also find large colonies of them in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California.
But, how can you attract hummingbirds to your backyard or even on your balcony? You will be pleased to know that there are quite a few ways that you can attract the beautiful hummingbird and enjoy watching its endless pollinating skills and of course it beautifully colored plumage.
5 ways to attract hummingbirds
There can be many ways to attract hummingbirds but I have used these 5 ways that I have listed below and all of them were really helpful for me. Today, I see around hundreds of hummingbirds in my backyard drinking their favorite nectar from the feeders I have placed around my backyard.
Color
Hummingbirds are very attracted to the color red, but also dark oranges and dark pinks too. So when choosing plants for your area, plant lots that will produce this color flower.
But they will also be attracted to other colors so mix up all your favorites as they will help to attract these tiny little treasures. You can plant them in your yard or on your balcony in planters or even in hanging baskets.
Always deadhead your flowers to keep optimum growth of new ones. Try to select plants of different heights and always incorporate ones with trumpet-shaped flowers as the hummingbird just loves this tubular type.
This is because these flowers hold a lot of nectar and most insects can’t get to all of it but the cute little hummingbird with its super-skinny long beak can get to every last drop.
You can also tie pretty red ribbons to your plants and/or balcony or decking frame as these will flutter about in the breeze and the curious little hummingbird will probably drop by for a closer inspection. Once it gets there it will discover all the other goodies you have provided and hey presto!
Food
Get yourself a nectar feeder from the store but make sure it has a tiny hole just big enough for the hummingbird beak otherwise you may encourage wasps and bees instead.
Also, make sure the feeder has a little ant moat above it to avoid these pesky insects getting into the sugary syrup. You can even buy or make a little handheld nectar feeder and try feeding them by hand – but this requires patience.
Fill the hummingbird feeder with some homemade nectar which is super easy to make. All you need to do is heat 4 parts water and add 1 part refined white sugar, and stir until fully dissolved. Once cool, put this in your nectar feeder and watch and wait!
It is really important to use just normal white sugar and not honey or other types of sugar and especially NOT any artificial sweeteners or soft drinks. The nectar needs to be an instant, non-complex source of sugar to provide the correct amount of energy for the hummingbird.
Never let your feeders run out of nectar otherwise you run the risk of the hummingbirds moving on and not returning as they will think the nectar source has finished – as it would when all the pollen has finished in the flowers.
Be sure to clean out the feeders regularly to avoid them getting gummy with insects and dirt as this will cause bacterial growth which in turn could harm the hummingbirds.
Also, make sure you always put the feeders back in the same place because the hummingbirds will revisit year after year, remembering exactly where this great food source was.
Another trick is to put any overripe fruit in a convenient spot as it will attract fruit flies which in turn will attract the hummingbird. So rather than binning your bruised bananas, try putting them out as an extra attraction and food source.
Spider Webs
If you discover any spider webs around the nectar feeder or your decking or balcony area, don’t be tempted to clean them away.
The little hummingbird loves to plunder insects from them as they are a great source of protein.
Also, the silk of the web is a favored material for constructing their tiny nests. So leave them in place and let the hummingbird do the cleaning for you!
Water Source
Hummingbirds love nothing more than a shallow fountain or water misting source. They’re not so much interested in drinking but love to dip and splash around in the water to get rid of the sticky nectar they have accumulated on their plumage, making them even more fascinating to watch. They don’t seem to like regular bird baths but if they see moving water they will be there like a shot.
If you have a bird fountain but it’s a bit deep, you could always put some nice stones or pebbles in it to make it shallower and this is a great way to attract hummingbirds.
You could also tilt it slightly to form a shallow end for them. Position it near some brightly colored flowers to attract them in the first instance, and once they realize there is water too, they will be sure to stick around.
Using a misting device is also a great way to attract them as not only will they hear the misted water but they will even fly around through it to clean off.
It is a good idea to position it near plants with large leaves as the shine of the leaves will attract them and the hummingbird can flutter against them to wash. It will feel just like the tropical rainforests to this little cutey.
Make sure there are also some nice perches nearby for them to take a rest after all that activity, but please be mindful where you position them as you don’t want your neighbor’s cat making a morsel of this delicate little creature!
Some thorny bushes or brambles are a nice safe place generally.
Conclusion
So you can see, there are many ways you can attract this incredible wonder of nature with some consideration on location, safety, cleanliness, and design.
With a little patience and perseverance, you could soon have a whole host of these amazing little creatures buzzing around – enjoy!
