Hummingbirds are a beloved backyard bird for many, with their bright colors, acrobatic flight, and fierce personalities. While traditional tube feeders hung from trees or poles work well, hand held feeders offer some unique advantages. But the big question is – do hand held hummingbird feeders actually work to attract these speedy birds?
What Are Hand Held Hummingbird Feeders?
Hand held hummingbird feeders, sometimes called hand held nectar feeders, are small plastic vessels filled with sugar water (liquid nectar) that are designed to be held in your hand to allow for up close bird watching. The feeder has feeding ports that the hummingbirds insert their long beaks into to lap up the nectar.
These feeders are very lightweight, often only 1-2 ounces when empty. They are also quite small, usually around 3-4 inches tall and 1-2 inches in diameter. This makes them very easy to hold comfortably in one hand for extended periods of time.
The small reservoir holds just 2-4 ounces of nectar. Some feeders have a flexible body that collapses as the nectar is consumed, while others are rigid bottles. Most models have 2-5 feeding ports spaced around the reservoir.
Benefits of Handheld Hummingbird Feeders
There are several potential advantages to using a handheld hummingbird feeder:
- Get extremely close to hummingbirds – The birds have to come right up to your hand to access the nectar, allowing for intimate observation and photographs.
- Target territorial birds – Dominant hummingbirds may aggressively defend a handheld feeder, keeping other birds away.
- Quickly move feeder location – You can easily reposition the feeder to find a spot the birds prefer or follow the birds as they feed.
- Minimal setup – Hang up feeders require poles, hooks, cables and other hardware, but handheld models just need nectar.
- Fun for kids – Children find hand feeding hummingbirds fascinating, a great way to get them interested in nature.
- Use anywhere – Balcony or travel use is easy since no mounts, poles or hooks are needed, just hold and fill.
Challenges of Hand Feeding Hummingbirds
While handheld feeders offer some neat benefits, there are also some potential challenges:
- Requires patience – You must stand still in one spot while waiting for birds to discover the feeder. This may take 30 minutes or more.
- Not a permanent setup – The feeder only works when you are there to hold it, so it cannot replace a hanging feeder.
- Small capacity – The tiny reservoirs require frequent refilling, sometimes after just 30-60 minutes.
- Need a backup feeder – You still need a regular style feeder for times when you are not able to hold the handheld version.
- May attract bees – The close proximity of the feeder may entice bees or wasps to pester you for a taste.
While holding a hummingbird feeder allows an intimate look at their behaviors, it takes time and patience. A standard feeder is still required to consistently provide nectar throughout the day when you cannot actively hold the handheld feeder. Use a handheld feeder as a supplemental feeding method, not your only one.
Tips for Using Handheld Hummingbird Feeders
If you want to try out hand feeding hummingbirds, here are some tips to get the most success:
- Start early in morning when hummingbirds are most active and hungry.
- Sit perfectly still in a location the birds frequent, near flowers or feeders.
- Wear clothing in solid, muted colors to avoid frightening them.
- Hold bright red feeder right out in the open, not tucked in to your body.
- Turn the feeding ports to face any approaching birds so they can easily access them.
- Once a single brave bird starts feeding, others will likely follow.
- Have patience, it may take many minutes for them to investigate.
- Do not make any sudden movements that could scare the birds away.
The most important thing is finding a location the hummingbirds already patrol and sit perfectly still. They will inevitably become curious about the little red feeder in your hand and come in for a sip. Just relax and let them make the first move.
Best Handheld Hummingbird Feeders
There are a variety of handheld hummingbird feeder models on the market. Here are some top options:
| Brand | Model | Capacity | Feeding Ports |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aspects | Urban Nature Humm Handheld | 2 oz | 2 |
| Grateful Gnome | Hummingbird Hand Feeder | 2 oz | 5 |
| Hum Easy Bird | The Humm Handheld | 4 oz | 2 |
| Perky-Pet | Hand-Feeding Hummingbird Feeder | 2 oz | 5 |
The Aspects and Hum Easy Bird models have rigid bodies, while the Grateful Gnome and Perky-Pet use flexible containers. All feature bright red plastic bodies with 2-5 feeding ports and hold 2-4 ounces of nectar. Most major hummingbird feeder brands offer a handheld model.
Making Your Own Handheld Hummingbird Feeder
While there are lots of pre-made options, you can also easily make a DIY handheld hummingbird feeder at home with just a few simple supplies:
- Small plastic squeeze bottle, like an empty condiment bottle
- Awl or drill for making holes
- Scissors
- Red paint/marker
- Nectar
Clean and dry the plastic bottle thoroughly. Use the awl or drill to make 2-4 small holes spaced around the bottle body just above the bottom. These will be the feeding ports. Paint the bottle bright red using spray paint or a marker. Fill with homemade nectar and you now have a functional handheld feeder for just pennies!
The benefit of DIY feeders is you can customize and experiment. Try different bottle styles, number of holes, and painting techniques to see what the hummingbirds in your yard respond to best.
Making Nectar for Handheld Feeders
Filling your handheld hummingbird feeder with homemade nectar is cheap and easy. Here is a simple recipe:
- 1 part white granulated sugar
- 4 parts water
No need to buy premixed nectar solutions. Simply mix one cup of regular white table sugar with four cups of tap water. Stir until the sugar fully dissolves. You can make larger batches and store any extra in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Do not use any other sweeteners like honey, agave, or artificial sweeteners, even if the packaging claims it is for hummingbirds. Plain white cane sugar provides the closest match to natural flower nectar.
Never add red food coloring, as that can be harmful to the birds. Keep the nectar mix to just sugar and water.
Cleaning Handheld Hummingbird Feeders
It is crucial to clean handheld hummingbird feeders on a very regular basis for the health of the birds. Here are some tips:
- Rinse and refill feeder with fresh nectar every 2-3 days
- Every 5-7 days, disassemble feeder and wash all parts in hot soapy water
- Use a small bottle brush to scrub inside reservoir and ports
- Rinse thoroughly and let air dry fully before refilling
- Soak feeder in a vinegar/water solution weekly to kill mold
The small size, frequent refilling, and sugar content means these feeders get dirty incredibly fast. Be diligent about hot water scrubbing and soaking in vinegar to provide a healthy, sanitary nectar source for hummingbirds.
Conclusion
Handheld hummingbird feeders can be a fun and rewarding way to get up close with these energetic birds. While they require more work than standard feeders, the ability to directly hand-feed wild hummingbirds is an amazing experience.
Look for a model with a bright red body, 2-5 feeding ports, a 2-4 ounce capacity, and easy cleaning. Fill with homemade white sugar nectar. Then find a comfortable spot in your yard, sit perfectly still, and wait for those tiny hummingbirds to briefly land on your hand for a drink!
