Hummingbirds are remarkable little birds that have captivated people for centuries. Their ability to hover mid-air and fly backwards makes them unique among birds. Hummingbirds are also the only birds that can fly backwards. These tiny birds have lightning fast wing beats that allow them to float in place as they sip nectar from flowers. Providing food for hummingbirds in the form of feeders is a popular hobby for many people who enjoy watching the aerial acrobatics of hummingbirds in their yards. But there is some debate among bird enthusiasts about whether or not hummingbirds prefer feeders that have perches.
What do hummingbirds eat?
In the wild, hummingbirds get most of their nutrition from drinking nectar from flowers. They have long slender beaks and tongues that allow them to reach deep into tube-shaped flowers to suck up the nutritious nectar inside. Flowers that rely on hummingbirds for pollination have evolved to match the long beaks of hummingbirds. The nectar provides hummingbirds with sugars for energy, as well as some electrolytes and vitamins. But hummingbirds need more than just nectar to survive. They also eat small insects, which provides them with protein, fat, and other nutrients not found in nectar. To get insects, hummingbirds may pluck small bugs right out of spider webs or off leaves. They sometimes catch flying insects in midair.
When people put out feeders to attract hummingbirds, they typically fill the feeders with a liquid nectar substitute. This artificial nectar provides the birds with the sugar they need. The nectar substitute is made by mixing table sugar with water at a ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. It may also contain small amounts of nutrients like electrolytes to more closely mimic natural nectar. Some people may also add red food coloring, but this dye provides no nutritional benefit and may actually be harmful to hummingbirds. It’s better to leave the nectar clear rather than adding red dye. Keeping the feeder filled with fresh nectar provides the hummingbirds with the energy they need from dawn to dusk.
The role of perches
In the wild, hummingbirds don’t really use perches. They feed on nectar while hovering in front of flowers, beating their wings up to 70 times per second. They can maintain this rapid wing beat for hours on end. The only time they pause to rest is at night when they go into torpor. This allows them to conserve energy.
When drinking from artificial feeders, hummingbirds also do not require a perch. They are perfectly capable of feeding while hovering in place. However, some people believe that providing a perch allows the birds to take an occasional rest while eating. The rationale is that a perch may help conserve the birds’ energy and allow them to feed longer. But it’s not entirely clear whether perches actually provide any benefits or not.
Potential benefits of feeder perches
Here are some potential benefits that perches could provide for hummingbirds:
- May allow resting periods – Perches may allow hummingbirds to periodically sit and take a break from the energetically demanding hovering while feeding.
- May enable feeding in windy conditions – Hummingbirds sometimes have difficulty maintaining a stable hovering position in windy weather. Perches could provide a more stable platform for feeding in breezy conditions.
- May attract more hummingbirds – Studies show that some types of hummingbirds are more likely to feed at locations where there are perches available. So having a perch may attract a greater number and diversity of hummingbirds.
- May help juveniles – Young fledgling hummingbirds are still developing their wing muscles and stamina for hovering. Perches provide a place for them to rest while feeding.
- May reduce aggressive behavior – Hummingbirds often aggressively guard feeders. Providing multiple perches may allow more hummingbirds to feed at once and reduce territorial behavior.
The reasoning behind these purported benefits is that perches allow hummingbirds to conserve energy while still having access to feeders. By providing a place to periodically rest their flight muscles, the hummingbirds may be able to utilize the feeder for longer periods of time.
Potential downsides of perches
However, there are also some potential downsides to having perches on hummingbird feeders:
- Increased contamination – Perches can become contaminated with mold and bacteria that could sicken the birds. Feces and other debris can collect on perches. This requires more frequent cleaning.
- Increased aggression – Dominant hummingbirds often perch on feeders to guard the food source. This can actually increase aggressive behavior.
- Unnatural behavior – Using a perch may accustom hummingbirds to unnecessary resting that could be counterproductive in the wild.
- Reduced exercise – Perching for prolonged periods could reduce exercise needed to maintain muscle tone and metabolic rates required for their unique hover-feeding.
- No proven benefit – Despite the theories about energy conservation, there is no definitive scientific evidence that perches provide tangible benefits.
The concerns with perches revolve around hygiene, increased aggression from dominant birds, and potential for altered natural behavior and reduced flight exercise. However, these potential downsides are also up for debate.
Do hummingbirds use perches in the wild?
To understand if feeder perches might be beneficial, it’s useful to look at how hummingbirds feed in their natural environment. In the wild, hummingbirds don’t have feeders at all. They instead feed on nectar from flowers as they hover in front of the blossoms. Their wings beat 55 to 75 times per second to stay suspended in air. This rapid fluttering allows them to drink while hovering without landing on a perch. Here are some reasons why wild hummingbirds don’t really use perches during feeding:
- Flowers not designed for perching – Most tubular flowers favored by hummingbirds do not provide a suitable perch. The flowers are adapted for accessing nectar during hover feeding.
- Increased energy use – Having to repeatedly land and take off from perches would actually require more exertion and energy than continuously hovering in place.
- Heightened risk – Landing repeatedly would increase exposure to predators. Hover feeding reduces risks.
- Territorial behavior – Perched or stationary hummingbirds would attract competition and aggression from other hummingbirds.
- Unnecessary – Their specialized flight muscles and aerodynamics allow hovering with minimal effort. Perching is unnecessary.
The anatomy and behavior of hummingbirds shows they are highly adapted for feeding while airborne without needing to perch. While artificial feeders differ from flowers, the flight biomechanics of hummingbirds remains unchanged. This suggests perches may be unnecessary at feeders.
Research on feeder perch preferences
Scientific research provides some insights into whether or not hummingbirds benefit from or prefer using perches on feeders:
- A 2-year study observed hummingbird activity at feeders with and without perches. It found greater hummingbird activity at the feeders without perches. The birds made fewer visits to the feeders with perches. This suggests perches may deter hummingbirds from using feeders in some cases.
- Researchers compared the feeding behavior of male Anna’s hummingbirds between feeders with and without perches. They measured feeding time along with aggressive behaviors. The study found the feeders without perches had 50% less aggressive behaviors. The hummingbirds also spent more time feeding at the feeder without a perch.
- A study of Buff-bellied hummingbirds compared feeders with a single perch versus no perch. It found that the feeder with a perch had more aggressive behaviors and fewer overall visits. But the number of individuals accessing the feeder was higher for the perch feeder, suggesting dominant males at the no-perch feeder deterred other birds.
- Broad-tailed hummingbirds visited feeders with multiple perches more frequently than feeders with just one perch or no perch in a study. But the presence of multiple perches resulted in more aggressive displacements as dominant males perched to guard the feeder.
The overall results from these types of controlled studies are mixed. But they hint that perches may influence hummingbird territorial behaviors. The impact on actual energy intake rates and health remains uncertain.
Impact of feeder design and placement
Aside from the presence of perches, there are other aspects of feeder design and placement that can influence hummingbird feeder use:
- Feeder height – Mounting feeders at 5-6 feet off the ground may reduce access by other species while still accommodating hummingbirds.
- Feeder color – Vivid red feeder bases and flower accents may help attract the birds, who are drawn to red coloration of natural flowers.
- Nectar fill method – Bottom-fill and sealed feeders reduce mold contamination by preventing perching on filling ports.
- Feeder size – Providing multiple compact feeders may reduce dominance and allow more birds to access nectar.
- Drip trays – Feeders with built-in drip trays keep the area clean from drips and reduce insect infestations.
- Nectar alternatives – Some feeders offer artificial flowers with wicking tubes that birds access while hovering, more closely mimicking natural feeding.
Along with considering whether or not to have a perch, focusing on other ways to make a feeder more accessible, clean, and attractive to hummingbirds can also influence functionality.
Conclusion
The question of whether or not hummingbirds prefer feeders with perches does not have a definitive scientific answer yet. There are plausible theories for both pros and cons of perches. In some cases, perches may allow resting periods and help attract birds. But perches may also increase aggressive guarding and require more cleaning. Comparisons of wild feeding ecology suggests perches are neither needed nor necessarily beneficial. The mixed results from controlled studies show that perch presence can alter hummingbird behavior patterns, but the effects are variable. Perch impacts likely depend on other factors like local hummingbird species composition, feeder placement, and number of perches provided. In the end, personal observations of local hummingbirds at feeders with and without perches may be the best way to determine preferences for a particular situation.
While perch preferences remain unclear, other ways to make feeders more functional for hummingbirds are providing clean nectar, multiple small feeders, red components, drip trays, proper height, and alternative feeding ports that minimize perching. With thoughtful feeder setup, homeowners can attract these energetic, acrobatic birds and enjoy their dazzling aerial maneuvers. Careful observations of hummingbird behavior will reveal the feeder features and placement that create the best experience for both the homeowner and hummingbirds in a particular environment.
