Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures that bring joy to backyard bird watchers everywhere. Their rapid wing beats, acrobatic flying, and sweet little chirps make them a delight to observe. Hummingbirds have very high metabolisms and need to consume a lot of energy in the form of nectar each day just to survive. This has led many people to wonder – can you supplement their diet with a sweet treat like honey?
The Short Answer
The short answer is no, you should not put honey in hummingbird feeders or use it as a nectar substitute. While honey is appealing because of its sweetness, it does not provide the right nutritional balance hummingbirds need. Honey may also promote bacterial and fungal growth in feeders. For the healthiest hummingbirds, use plain white sugar dissolved in water for your nectar recipe.
Why Hummingbirds Need Nectar
Hummingbirds are specialized nectar feeders. Over millennia, they have evolved long slender beaks and tongues that are perfect for slurping up the nectar from flowers. This sugary fluid provides them with the high-energy carbohydrates they need to support their supercharged metabolism. Because they burn through calories so quickly, a hummingbird may visit hundreds of flowers each day to consume enough nectar to survive.
Flowers produce nectar as a strategy to attract pollinators like hummingbirds. The nectar lures the birds close so pollen can be transferred from flower to flower. The nectar itself contains three key components:
- Water – the majority of nectar is water
- Sugars – usually sucrose, glucose and fructose
- Amino acids, vitamins, and minerals
When hummingbirds drink naturally occurring nectar straight from flowers, they get an ideal balance of sugars and micronutrients to meet their dietary needs. The water and simple sugars fuel their metabolism, while the amino acids, vitamins and minerals provide protein building blocks and electrolytes.
The Role of Backyard Feeders
In the wild, hummingbirds get all the food they need from flower nectar. But you can also support these tiny birds by offering homemade nectar from feeders. This supplemental food source is especially helpful during migration or in winter when fewer flowers are in bloom.
The easiest homemade nectar formula is simply white granulated sugar dissolved in water. The ideal ratio is 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Boil the water first to eliminate any bacteria, then stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Let this mixture cool before filling your feeders.
This basic sugar water approximates the natural concentration of nectar in many flowers. While not a perfect replica of nature, it does provide the carbohydrates and water that comprise the bulk of hummingbirds’ dietary needs.
Why Honey Is Not the Best Choice
Honey may seem like a more natural alternative to white sugar. However, there are several reasons why honey is not the best choice for hummingbird nectar:
- Incorrect ratio of nutrients – Honey contains different proportions of sugars than natural flower nectar, and does not provide all the nutrients hummingbirds need.
- May cause digestive upset – The particular types of sugars and enzymes in honey can potentially cause diarrhea in small hummingbirds.
- Antibacterial properties – The enzymes in honey inhibit microbial growth, which also reduces nutrients available to hummingbirds.
- Promotes mold – Honey is prone to growing mold in feeders, while plain sugar water stays fresh longer.
- Difficult to mix – Honey is more difficult to evenly dissolve in water compared to white sugar.
- Expense – Honey is cost prohibitive for making large volumes of food for hummingbirds.
Researchers who have tested various nectar recipes concluded that plain white sugar and water is healthier for hummingbirds than honey mixes. Honey lacks the ideal carbohydrate ratios birds need, and may lead to intestinal upsets or starve them of nutrients. The antibacterial effects of honey can destroy nutrients before hummingbirds can benefit. Overall, sugar is a safer bet.
Other Alternatives to Avoid
Some other human foods may seem like good candidates for hummingbird nectar. But it’s best to steer clear of these as well:
- Fruit juices – Juices like orange, pineapple or apple are not nutritionally matched to a hummingbird’s needs.
- Artificial sweeteners – Sweeteners like Splenda, Equal, Sweet N’Low have no nutritional value.
- Brown sugar – Brown sugar provides iron and calcium, which hummingbirds cannot process.
- Agave nectar – Although agave nectar comes from a plant, its high fructose content makes it unhealthy.
- Molasses – Like brown sugar, molasses has excess minerals and may grow bacteria.
The simplest solution remains plain white cane sugar and water. This combo is easy for hummingbirds to digest, affordable, and minimizes microbial contaminants.
What About Organic or “Raw” Sugar?
There is no evidence that more natural forms of sugar like organic or “raw” sugar provide any health benefits over plain white granulated sugar in hummingbird food. The nutritional differences are negligible. Here are some points comparing sugar options:
| Sugar Type | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| White cane sugar |
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| Organic cane sugar |
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| Turbinado or “raw” sugar |
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Given the lack of any major advantage to using less processed sugars, plain white cane sugar remains the most cost effective and reliable nectar base.
Making Your Hummingbird Nectar
Follow these steps to make simple and healthy hummingbird food using plain white sugar:
- Fill a saucepan with 4 cups of water.
- Bring the water to a boil, then turn off the heat.
- Stir in 1 cup of white granulated sugar until fully dissolved.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- Transfer to a clean nectar feeder.
- Replace the nectar every 2-3 days, or when it looks cloudy.
This 4:1 ratio of sugar to water matches the average concentration in natural flower nectar. Boiling the water first helps kill any bacteria or mold spores. Allowing the nectar to cool before filling the feeder prevents harming hummingbirds’ tender tongues.
Be sure to clean your feeders thoroughly with hot water and replace old nectar frequently. Dirty feeders can make birds sick. With some simple white sugar, clean equipment, and proper care, you can provide food that will attract these special little visitors.
FAQs
Is it okay to use raw honey for hummingbirds?
No, raw unpasteurized honey is not considered safe for hummingbirds. It still contains the wrong balance of nutrients, and raw honey may harbor more bacteria and fungal spores that can grow in feeders and make birds ill.
Can I use honey to sweeten hummingbird nectar?
It’s best not to use any honey in hummingbird nectar. Sugar water alone provides the simplest, healthiest diet. If you want to supplement with honey, do not make it more than 10% of the total recipe.
What about organic honey for hummingbirds?
Using organic honey would not provide any particular health benefits over plain white sugar. Organic honey still has the same problematic nutritional profile and risk of growing mold.
Is honey nectar better if I change it more often?
Even if you are very diligent about changing honey nectar every day, it is still not as ideal as plain sugar water. The nutrients are imbalanced, and honey attracts more bacteria. Sugar water stays fresh longer if changed every 2-3 days.
Can I mix different sweeteners like honey and sugar?
It’s best not to mix multiple types of sugars, sweeteners, or other additives in hummingbird nectar. The simplest recipe of just white sugar and water provides the safest food source.
The Bottom Line
Honey may seem like a good choice for homemade hummingbird food because of its sweet properties and positive health associations. However, plain white sugar dissolved in water remains the healthiest and safest option for hummingbirds. Honey lacks key nutrients birds need, may cause digestive issues, and promotes mold growth. While honey has a time and place in human diets, it is not an ideal ingredient for hummingbird nectar. Stick with basic sugar water to help attract these special pollinators to your yard.
