Hummingbirds are the worlds smallest bird making them spectacular to watch because of their brilliant colors and their motionless, hovering, feeding habits. These birds are small, averaging 3.5 inches from head to tail.

The best way to feed hummingbirds is by using a nectar feeder that you place high enough on a branch so that other animals cannot feed from it. Hummingbirds are attractd to a combination of sugar and water. The only way to get closer to flower nectar than this blend is the nectar itself. When you prepare homemade nectar you should not use honey, molasses or any other artificial sweeteners.

A simple recipe for homemade nectar is 1 cup of sugar and 3 cups of water, bring to a boil melting the sugar, set aside to cool. When this mixture is cool you can fill your feeder. This is a 1 to 3 mix. You should not add food coloring to the mix.

Hummingbirds rely on the nectar from flowers and other sources for energy but also eat small insects for protein. You should be able to successfully attract hummingbirds to a backyard feeder with a proper combination of cleanliness, timing, and consistency.

A hummingbird feeder has to be clean and the nectar fresh or the bird will not feed from it and if it does, it may become sick. Red and orange are the best colors for attracting hummingbirds to your feeder. You can also add red ribbons trailing off the feeder so it can be easily located by the hummingbirds in your area.

There are a couple of different types of hummingbird feeders. The dish type has a perch and allows a good view of the way a hummingbird feeds. The gravity fed bottle feeder has no perch so that eliminates the problem of other animals landing on it to feed. Hummingbird feeders come in many different styles and shapes from simple glass or plastic bottles and home made feeder plates to beautifully hand blown glass bulbs that enhance the charm of any backyard.

The best time to hang your hummingbird feeder is shortly before spring. If a hummingbird is drawn to the bird feeder during this time, it will likely return throughout the spring, summer, and well into fall.

You can attract hummingbirds to your garden with feeders and by adding flowering plants to your landscape. A lot of the same plants which lure butterflies to your property will lure hummingbirds as well. By going to your local garden supply shop you will be able to locate feeders and plants to attract the hummingbirds.