The presence of hummingbirds in your yard depends on the feeders’ position, along with a good nectar recipe. A better position will provide you with a better view of those feathered jewels and, more importantly, provide them more safety.
What is the best place to put hummingbird feeders? The answer is where they easily find them, and you can enjoy the great view and beauty of every visitor.
You need to consider other factors when placing feeders in your yard. We will discuss those in the following article.
Tips for Hummingbird Feeder Placement
You can try the following placement tips to invite them to your garden or yard.
Location
Why do we place feeders? To watch birds and feed them. Put your feeder in a highly visible area at the beginning of spring that allows more passing by hummingbirds will notice your feeder and take a sip from it. You can also put a red ribbon to draw their attention.
Hummingbirds are concerned about their safety more than anything. When they don’t find any cover nearby, they may not visit your yard regularly. So, place the feeder around 10-15 feet from the cover.
When their presence increases, you can move the feeder to provide them with an optimal place to take their loving nectar recipe.
Don’t forget about the better view which is another main reason to invite them into our garden. Along with that, You need to frequently clean and refill the feeder. Easy access will allow you to do this job efficiently. Select a location where you can get easy access and a better view to enjoy when they hover and drink.
Related: Attract Hummingbirds to Your Yard.
Shady Area
Keeping the feeder in a shady area means hummingbirds’ food lasts longer without spoiling. Hummingbirds feeder contains nectars which are sugary liquids. Placing nectar in direct sunlight all day will cause nectar to spoil quickly. You’ll notice that mold and bacteria grow rapidly and make the feeder cloudy, which keeps hummingbirds away from the feeder.
Though Hummingbird nectar can spoil more quickly in the sun all day, placing them under the sunny area also has some benefits. In the morning, Hummingbirds like to take their food in the warm sun.
Try to place the feeder in a sunny area in the morning and move the location when heat increases.
You can check out the article to know more: Which is the better place: Sun or shade.
Note: It doesn’t matter where you place your feeder if you frequently change the nectar. If you are concerned about them, change the nectar at least every two days in extremely hot weather.
Keep off predators
You need to be concerned about hummingbird predators when selecting a feeder’s location. Keep the feeder away from areas where predators can climb and jump over the feeder and place the feeders around 5 feet higher from the ground. Knowing about the predators also helps you keep them away from them.
Some common predators are:
- Cat
- Praying Mantis
- Snakes
- Frogs
- Orb Weave Lizards
- Wasp
They are very common who might attack them when hummingbirds are taking their food. Among them, cats are more dangerous for hummingbirds. When you find any sign that they might attack hummingbirds, change the location of feeders. Also, you can use a bee-proof feeder to keep bees, wasps, and other insects away.
Be aware of windows
According to Audubon Portland, “ Around one billion birds die every year due to collisions in the United States; among them 54-76% of window collisions are deadly.”
So, It’s important to locate the feeder at a safe distance from the feeder. Several sources recommend placing the feeder around 30 feet away are a good practice or 3 feet. You may use a WindowAlert Leaf Medley Anti-Collision Decal from Amazon. The decals easily alert them to limit their speed.
Maintain Distance From Other Bird Feeders
Hummingbirds like to get privacy and space, and often, they feed while in flight. If you attract other seed-loving birds like orioles or finches, try to keep their feeders apart from hummingbird feeders at least 15-20 feet.
Where to place a hummingbird feeder?
Hummingbird will find your feeder very easily no matter where it is, but following these locations, tips can help you to make the perfect use of the feeder.
Trees
Trees are excellent spots for hanging feeders. A low tree limb is ideal rather than a high tree limb because it reduces the feeder swing wildly on its hanger. Hang the feeder at least 5 to 6 feet from the ground, which keeps off predators.
An ant moat is required to keep off these insects from your feeder as ants tend to live in trees.
You can use a hanger to put the feeder easily. You can use string, wire, or even a coat hanger. If you want to get a dedicated hanger for trees, My recommendation will go with Gray Bunny GB-6812 Metal Tree Branch Hook from amazon.
Bird Feeder Pole
If you’re a beginner and want to discover the best spot in your yard which attracts hummingbirds most, a bird feeder pole is a good option.
You can frequently change the position of these shepherd’s hooks without any problem. But, Don’t make a significant change that might cause known birds to disappear.
Window
Window feeders are best for watching the beauty of birds without any obstacles. Most of the window hummingbirds feeder comes with suction cups that allow you to install them easily.
If you want to get the best view of hummers, go with a minimalistic design. In my opinion, Aspects 407 window feeder is a good one for attracting them to your window.
When placing your feeder, always keep it 3 feet from the window. Otherwise, You may cause the death of a hummingbird.
Patio or Deck
If you have a covered patio or deck, you can place a hummingbird feeder there to get a great view. You can use a hook to hang the feeder.
Roofline
Rooflines are better for providing shade to the birds in hot summer and keeping them safe from predators attacks.
Final Words
Hoping this article will help you to find a better location for hummingbirds feeder in your area. Always do experiments if their presence decreases day by day.
Feeding birds means you take responsibility to provide them with good food. So, Always provide good quality nectar for them and clean the feeder frequently.
