If you want to attract hummingbirds, you need to set up a beautiful buffet to entice them and ensure that they are well-fed. These tiny birds have huge appetites, and perhaps surprisingly, like a wide variety of foods that provide them with the energy and nutrition required to maintain an average of 4,000 wingbeats per minute.
So, if you want to attract them to your backyard, you’ll have to set up such foods that hummingbirds will surely devour. Let’s explore winning ways to attract hummingbirds to your backyard and a few foods they love to eat.
How to Attract Hummingbirds
Attracting hummingbirds isn’t challenging, especially if you know everything that a hummingbird loves. As long as you set up the right things in your backyard, hummingbirds will come flying to your backyard. It’s always beautiful to have a few hummingbirds in your yard as it automatically adds plenty of charm. Let’s go through a few ways to attract hummingbirds to your backyard.
A Continuous Blooming Schedule
Hummingbirds love a backyard full of plants and flowers. So, the best thing to attract them is by planning a blooming schedule carefully that gives hummingbirds a reason to always be in your backyard. You can consult garden experts for tips to plan a blooming period. The more your plants and flowers bloom, the more hummingbirds you’ll find in your backyard.
Lure Them With Whimsy
If hummingbirds feel a bit majestic to you, you’re not alone. With a heart that can beat just over 1, 200 a minute and wings as fast (both depending on the species), they evoke fairy-like energies. These small but busy birds seem attracted to colorful objects including ornate garden art, mirror balls, and hanging chimes. They might call your decorated garden home as long as it includes nibbles.
Replace Your Old Feeders
If your existing plant feeders have gone awry, you need to buy some new ones right away. Many people try getting by with their old feeders, but that’s not an ideal situation. So, we suggest you hit the market and buy new feeders that provide more durability than the previous ones. Please ensure they’re easily cleanable and fillable, and heavy in size.
Foods to Attract Hummingbirds
You may find it easy to attract hummingbirds through your plants and flowers, but do you know what they eat? Luring hummingbirds to your backyard with the right foods trips many people up as they do not know the right foods to feed hummingbirds. Allow us to elaborate more on the foods you can lure hummingbirds with.
1. Fruit
Hummingbirds love to eat juicy and ripe fruits. They suckle on fruits such as apples, pears, berries, oranges, and grapes as they love the fresh and sweet nectar. However, for hummingbirds to procure such fruits’ juices, they must be peeled open. So, if you want to attract hummingbirds to your backyard, we suggest you slice open some citrus fruits. Such fruits provide plenty of energy and nutrition, so they’ll be an excellent food choice for hummingbirds.
2. Ashes and Sand
This isn’t a very convenient food choice, but research says hummingbirds love eating ashes and sand. It may sound perplexing, but ashes and sand include many minerals and vitamins that make them an excellent food source for hummingbirds. Since that’s the case, you won’t have difficulty finding some ashes and sand. They’re readily available everywhere. Ashes and sand are known to fulfill a hummingbird’s dietary needs as they get sufficient nutrition from them.
3. Nectar
Nectar is a common food source for hummingbirds. It contains sufficient sucrose that keeps them energetic and allows them to fly swiftly. Nectar is also the reason behind hummingbirds’ high metabolism. So, it’s better to feed them some nectar if you want to attract them to your garden. Since nectar is found in a liquid state, it also serves hummingbirds’ thirst, as it’s water for them. However, you should know hummingbirds need to have a balanced diet to have sufficient amounts of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
4. Insects
Since we’re talking about the best foods for hummingbirds, insects undoubtedly qualify as an excellent choice. Insects provide plenty of protein and minerals to hummingbirds, so they hunt them frequently. Hummingbirds especially devour the eggs laid by insects; hence, they make tasty treats for hummingbirds. So, one of the best ways to get hummingbirds to come to your backyard is by putting some insects in the feeders. Hummingbirds will feast on them happily and get the nutrition they want.
5. Sap
When hummingbirds cannot find nectar, they suckle on some tree sap drizzling from wells. While sap may not be as sweet as nectar, it still provides a healthy amount of sucrose to keep hummingbirds active and energetic. So, it’ll be excellent if you can arrange some sap to attract hummingbirds to your backyard. Sap may be an alternate option, but it still does the job of fulfilling hummingbirds’ appetites. Since sap is an adequate energy source, it’s considered an excellent food choice.
6. Pollen
Hummingbirds only consume pollen when they suck on nectar, so the consumption isn’t direct. This is also why some pollen is indigested. However, albeit minor, pollen can be a decent source of protein. So, extracting some out and keeping it aside for hummingbirds will be wise so that they can consume it directly. You should also know that when nectar is scarce, pollen won’t be a common energy source for hummingbirds.
Conclusion
Feeding hummingbirds can be a fun pastime. Though some food choices may sound odd, remember, they don’t judge your supper. Please note that any whole food or liquids should be replaced in order to avoid mold or spoilage. Also, feeders should be cleaned at least weekly. Enjoy attracting these amazing birds to your garden!
