How Do Hummingbirds Find Feeders?

By: TheWalledNursery
Time to read: 5 min.

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Hummingbirds find feeders with their incredible eyesight. They rely on their vision to spot bright colors since they can’t smell very well. Bright colors mean high sugar content in flowers, making colorful nectar feeders most likely to attract them.

Hummingbirds usually have no problems finding nectar bird feeders. You can make your feeders more appealing so that the birds have an easier time finding them in your yard.

Overall, hummingbirds are always searching for food due to their high metabolism. 

Table of Contents

How Does a Hummingbird Find a Feeder?

Hummingbirds look for bright colors such as orange, pink, and red. To the birds, these colors indicate that the flower is rich in sweet nectar.

If you use a traditional red hummingbird feeder, they’ll have no problems finding it.

Once a hummingbird finds a clean, reliable bird feeder, they’ll remember it! Hummingbirds have excellent memory capabilities.

They’ll even return to the same bird feeder year after year, so you’ll want to keep yours as consistent as possible for them.

Hummingbirds also have fantastic eyesight. They can spot these bright colors as they zip around in the air. They’re more likely to find feeders near flowers or sources of water.

A hummingbird’s eyesight is a lot better than ours. They can pick tiny insects off of plants that we can’t see well.

Plus, hummingbirds can see well enough to catch small insects out of the air! While they can’t smell very well, they won’t struggle to find a red bird feeder.

Overall, hummingbirds can find bird feeders easily. If you’re having trouble attracting them, it’s likely your space doesn’t have the best conditions for them to come. You’ll want to make a few small changes to see better results!

Can I Make It Easier For Hummingbirds To Find My Feeder?

First, take a look at where your feeder currently is. You’ll want to make sure that it’s out in the open so that the birds can see it. Once they find it, you can move it around nearby.

Hanging red ribbons off of the feeder will help the hummingbirds find it. The ribbons blow in the breeze and stand out due to their bright color.

Curious hummingbirds will come to take a look, then find your bird feeder.

You can also do the following to make it even easier for the small birds to find your bird feeder:

Set up a flower bed near the hummingbird feeder

Make the space safer for the birds 
Keep it at least five feet high to avoid predators, like a cat
Keep the feeder between 10 to 15 feet away from trees and bushes 
Add a freshwater source, such as a fountain or birdbath, nearby
Keep the nectar fresh and refill it often

Provide bird perches for them to rest on

You’ll need to use a red nectar feeder to attract the hummingbirds. Some people use red nectar, but the dyes and food color are harmful to the birds.

Garden Hummingbird Feeder with Perch – Hand Blown Glass – Blue – 25 Fluid Ounces Hummingbird Nectar Capacity Include Hanging Wires and Moat Hook (Red Phoenix)

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Instead, please make your own clear nectar at home and pour it into a red bird feeder. 

In short, there are plenty of ways that you can make it easier for hummingbirds to find your nectar feeders! If your current method isn’t working, try adding more of the above steps into your routine.

Keep the Feeder Isolated

Additionally, you’ll want to keep the nectar bird feeder away from birdseed feeders and animals such as squirrels.

Even if a hummingbird finds your nectar feeder, they won’t come around if larger animals are there.

If you use birdseed feeders, make sure to place them very far away from the hummingbird feeders. It’s also good to clean around them often since the fallen seeds can attract squirrels.

Add a Lot of Reds

You can also add a lot of reds around the feeder. Aside from using red ribbons, you can also plant red flowers nearby.

The birds will remember where the feeder is, even after the flowers are gone for the season. 

You won’t need to use red nectar in the feeder. Adding clear nectar to the bird feeder is better and still easy to spot when the feeder is already red.

If the red on your feeder fades, you’ll want to replace it. Dull bird feeders won’t stand out as much to hummingbirds, and they may not notice that they’re there.

Will Multiple Feeders Make It Easier To Find?

Yes, using multiple hummingbird feeders will make it easier to find. When one spots a bird feeder, you can trust that more will come. With numerous bird feeders in your yard, they’re more likely to stick around.

Some hummingbirds can get aggressive and won’t share the feeder with the other birds. Having multiple nectar feeders on your property will help prevent that from happening.

They’ll feel like they won’t need to fight over the resources since there’s more than enough for them.

However, you won’t want to put the feeders right next to each other. Spacing them out increases the odds that the birds will find the feeders easier.

How Do I Get Hummingbirds To Return?

Once a hummingbird finds your bird feeder, they’ll continue to return if they feel safe there.

You’ll want to make sure it’s not close to predators and is high enough off the ground. Most cats can jump about four or five feet, so higher than that is best.

You don’t need to do much to get the hummingbirds to return after they’ve found the feeder. These birds have very high metabolisms and need to drink a lot of nectar during the day.

As long as you continue supplying them with fresh, clean nectar, the birds will keep showing up!

When you add a water source, it will make it convenient for the birds to nest nearby. You’ll want to change the water often to keep it clean for them.

Overall, hummingbirds have an excellent memory and won’t forget where reliable food sources are. Once they discover your bird feeder, you can trust that you’ll see them there again!