Daily Feeding Requirements for Hummingbirds

If you're a bird lover, you probably really enjoy hummingbird season. Looking out your window to see a red hummingbird flying around is a beautiful sight. To attract hummingbirds to your yard, you need to know what they eat and how much food they need each day so that you can adequately provide for them.

  1. Feeding Frequency

    • Hummingbirds are tiny creatures that need to eat frequently to maintain their energy. A hummingbird typically eats an amount of food each day that's equal to more than its body weight. To achieve this, the birds commonly eat four to five times per hour. The total amount of times that hummingbirds eat per day depends on the nectar content present in the foods they eat. If they eat foods with higher amount of nectar content, they won't need to eat as frequently as they do when consuming foods with lower amounts of nectar content.

    Natural Types of Food

    • Hummingbirds can use flowers, trees, bushes and insects as natural food sources. Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, but they will consume nectar from plants of any color. Some examples of plants that hummingbirds feed from include the begonia, azalea, honeysuckle, locust, morning glory, lilac, petunia and hibiscus. They also use insects, such as gnats and spiders, as a source of protein.

    Bird Feeders

    • Many people enjoy having hummingbirds in their yard, so they hang bird feeders to attract them. You will need to make nectar to put in the bird feeders, as this is the main source of nourishment for hummingbirds. To learn how to make nectar, visit ̶0;birdwatchers.com,̶1; and click on ̶0;nectar recipe.̶1; Artificial sweeteners, honey and red food coloring should never be placed in a bird feeder as they can cause illness and even death to these birds. Hummingbirds are very territorial when it comes to their food, so hang multiple bird feeders in your yard to attract more than one bird. You will need to clean your bird feeder an average of once per week to keep food fresh enough for hummingbirds to keep coming back.

    Preparing for Hummingbird Season

    • Hummingbirds arrive in different areas of the country at different times, according to the climate. The southern states can see hummingbirds as early as January, while they may not arrive in northern areas with colder weather until May. Prepare in advance for the arrival of hummingbirds to attract them to your yard. Hang bird feeders outside one week before your expect the hummingbirds to arrive to attract them as they come into your area. If your bird feeder is the first food source a hummingbird sees, it might choose to live in your yard for the entire season.