Hummingbirds are delightful little birds that have captured people’s imagination for centuries. Their tiny size, incredible speed, and ability to hover in mid-air make them unique among birds. It’s no wonder that people wanted to find ways to attract these flying jewels to their yards and gardens. This led to the invention of the hummingbird feeder, a specialized type of bird feeder designed to provide nectar for hummingbirds.
The origins of hummingbird feeders
Hummingbirds are found only in the Americas. There are over 300 different species, but only a handful regularly migrate and breed in the United States and Canada. The most common backyard hummingbird in North America is the ruby-throated hummingbird. This species has likely been interacting with humans for thousands of years. Some of the earliest encounters between hummingbirds and people probably involved the birds being attracted to flowers in gardens. However, more concerted efforts to deliberately feed the birds sugar water likely did not begin until the 1800s.
By the mid-1800s, a few different types of antique hummingbird feeders had been invented and documented. These early designs were simple glass tubes or bottles that were filled with sugar water. Some featured corks or stoppers so the liquid would not spill out. They could be hung from trees or posts near gardens to attract hummingbirds. While functional, these crude nectar feeders looked quite different from modern feeders.
Saunders’ hummingbird feeder patent
The first documented patent for a hummingbird feeder more closely resembling contemporary feeders was filed by Andrew Jackson Saunders in the 1880s. Saunders was an amateur inventor and businessman from Altadena, California. On February 10, 1891, he filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a new “Flower-Holder for Decorative Purposes”. However, despite this broad name, the device was specifically intended to hold liquid “for the especial purpose of feeding humming-birds.”
Saunders’ hummingbird feeder consisted of a glass or ceramic reservoir that could be filled with sugar water. The reservoir had holes at the bottom to allow the liquid to leak out into vertical grooves. Brightly colored artificial flowers were mounted at the top of each groove. The hungry hummingbirds would be attracted to the flowers and would lick the nectar from the grooves as they fed. The patent states the feeder could be used to decorate properties in a novel way that would attract hummingbirds.
The patent application included technical diagrams illustrating the hummingbird feeder’s simple but ingenious design. After filing, the patent was eventually granted on August 9, 1892 (patent number 479,939). This makes Saunders’ feeder the first patented hummingbird feeder. However, it likely was not the absolute first hummingbird feeder ever made. Undocumented earlier designs probably existed, but Saunders was the first to receive a patent protecting the idea of a liquid-holding hummingbird feeder.
Key facts about the Saunders’ hummingbird feeder patent:
- Patent filed on February 10, 1891
- Patented granted August 9, 1892 (patent #479,939)
- Inventor was Andrew Jackson Saunders of Altadena, California
- Feeder featured a reservoir to hold “liquid food for humming-birds”
- Liquid leaked out grooves into artificial flowers to attract the birds
Later nineteenth century hummingbird feeder patents
Saunders was not the only inventor to patent a hummingbird feeder design in the late 1800s. As interest in attracting hummingbirds to gardens grew, others contributed new feeder innovations as well. Some other notable antique hummingbird feeder patents from this era include:
Stroud’s “Humming Bird Waterer” (1897)
In 1897, Charles A. Stroud of Shelbyville, Illinois patented a hummingbird feeder with some similarities to Saunders’ design. His patent application called the device a “Humming Bird Waterer”. Like Saunders’ feeder, it consisted of a reservoir with liquid flow grooves emptying into artificial flower heads. Unique features included a glass chimney around the reservoir and the ability to rotate the flower heads.
Gross’ “Artificial Humming Bird Flower” (1898)
John H. Gross of Washington, D.C. received a 1898 patent for his “Artificial Humming Bird Flower”. His feeder used metal petals and tubes to draw liquid up from a reservoir. Moving or rotating the petals controlled flow to the tubes. An integrated ant guard prevented crawling insects from reaching the nectar.
Key facts about other nineteenth century feeders:
- Charles A. Stroud patented the “Humming Bird Waterer” in 1897
- John H. Gross patented an “Artificial Humming Bird Flower” in 1898
- These joined Saunders in pioneering early hummingbird feeder designs
- Each contained tubes or grooves leading from a reservoir to artificial flowers
The first glass tube hummingbird feeders
The early patented hummingbird feeders from Saunders, Stroud, Gross, and others were creative, but they were often complex and could be challenging to manufacture. By the early 1900s, a simpler and more familiar style of hummingbird feeder emerged – the glass tube feeder. The exact origins of this type of feeder are obscure, but they became widely sold and used in the United States by the 1920s.
The defining feature of glass tube hummingbird feeders is their use of elongated glass tubes that serve as reservoirs for the nectar. Multiple tubes are arranged in a circle or other pattern and held vertically. The tubes have openings at the bottom to allow the liquid to drip out at a slow, steady rate. No additional mechanisms or controls are required. The birds drink the nectar directly from the mouths of the tubes.
These streamlined feeders eliminated the need for separate reservoirs and complex tubes or grooves. Although theexposed glass made them a bit more fragile, the transparent construction did allow people to easily monitor the nectar levels. The fact that they provided multiple feeding ports in a small footprint made them highly convenient and effective for attracting numerous hummingbirds.
Advantages of early glass tube hummingbird feeders:
- Simpler design without complex liquid reservoirs
- Multiple glass tubes provided several feeding ports
- Nectar was easily visible through the clear glass
- Easy for birds to access the nectar droplets
By the 1930s and 1940s, versions of these glass tube feeders with colorful decorations were being mass produced and sold through catalogs and in stores across America. Ever since, they have remained one of the most common and familiar styles of hummingbird feeder available.
The development of modern plastic feeders
In the decades after World War II, manufacturing techniques advanced rapidly. This enabled more mass production of consumer goods like hummingbird feeders. By the 1950s, companies realized that molded plastic could provide an affordable alternative to hand-blown glass for feeder construction. Early plastics like acrylic and polycarbonate allowed transparent parts to mimick the glass tube design.
One of the first examples of an all-plastic hummingbird feeder was the Featherweight Feeder introduced in 1954. Produced by the Hartz Mountain Corporation, this affordable feeder featured four yellow acrylic feeding tubes sprouting from a round plastic base. Hartz heavily marketed it in magazines like Good Housekeeping. Within a few years, numerous other companies jumped in with their own plastic hummingbird feeder models.
Plastic provided many advantages compared to glass. It was virtually unbreakable and cheaper to mass produce. This allowed for plastic feeders in a greater variety of styles like flying saucer-shaped or feeders modeled to look like flowers. However, glass tube feeders did not disappear. Purists continued to prefer the look of real glass. Both materials remain common in feeders today.
Benefits of plastic hummingbird feeders:
- Inexpensive to manufacture using plastics like acrylic
- More durable and less prone to breaking
- Allowed more diversity and creativity in feeder shapes
- Enabled higher production volumes and mass marketing
Recent innovations in hummingbird feeder designs
Hummingbird feeders continue to evolve as manufacturers add new features to attract buyers and compete in the marketplace. Consumers today have an enormous range of feeder designs and styles to choose from. Some notable innovations in recent decades include:
Built-in ant and bee guards
Keeping ants and bees from getting into the nectar is a challenge with any hummingbird feeder. Contemporary feeders address this issue through clever builtin safeguards. These range from moats filled with water to specialized tapering ports that deny access.
Single-serve reservoirs
Refilling a feeder full of nectar can be messy and attract pests. Newer feeders get around this with small, singleuse reservoirs that cleanly snap into place. Once empty, the reservoir is simply discarded and replaced.
creative shapes and materials
Instead of plain rounds or tubes, today’s feeders come in artistic shapes like hummingbirds, butterflies, or flowers. Feeders molded from colored glass, mixed materials, and metal offer unique looks for gardens.
High-tech features
Some feeders incorporate advanced features like battery-powered heaters to keep nectar flowing in cold weather, or camera mounts for capturing feathered visitors up close.
While Saunders probably could not have imagined many of these innovations back in 1891, he helped launch an entire industry. The creativity we see today is possible because of those early pioneers who turned their ingenuity toward attracting hummingbirds.
The business of manufacturing hummingbird feeders
As interest in backyard bird feeding grew over the twentieth century, hummingbird feeders graduated from hobbyist novelty to major commercial product. A number of brands emerged as leaders in manufacturing and marketing feeders and related accessories. Here are a few of the most prominent names:
Aspects
With roots dating back to the 1960s, Aspects is today one of the largest hummingbird feeder companies. They offer an extensive selection of feeder types and matching accessories.
Perky Pet
Tracing their history to the 1950s, Perky Pet is another dominant manufacturer known for innovative and decorative feeder designs.
Droll Yankees
Founded in the 1960s, Droll Yankees offers high-volume commercial feeders along with consumer models. They are also a leader in bird feeders for all types.
First Nature
First Nature joined the market in the 1990s and specializes in affordable plastic feeders sold through major retailers.
These and other major players compete alongside smaller artisan glass blowers offering handmade feeders. It all adds up to big business today, with Americans spending well over $100 million every year on hummingbird supplies according to some estimates.
Key innovations that led to modern hummingbird feeder designs
When looking at the wide selection of hummingbird feeder styles available today, it’s interesting to reflect on some of the key innovations that sparked their development over time:
Using artificial nectar
The basic concept of using sugar water to attract hummingbirds traces back centuries before the first specialized feeders.
Incorporating reservoirs
Adding sealed containers to hold and release the liquid nectar allowed larger capacities.
Adorning with artificial flowers
Brightly colored fake flowers helped draw the birds to the nectar outlets.
Employing glass tubes
Glass tubes eliminated the need for complex mechanisms to direct nectar flow.
Utilizing plastics
Durable, affordable plastics enabled mass production and creative designs.
Adding protective features
Innovations like ant guards and bee guards prevented undesirable pests.
With each improvement, hummingbird feeders became ever more convenient, practical, and enticing for both birds and watchers. The enthusiasm around observing these tiny energetic birds will likely continue driving further innovations into the future.
Conclusion
From simple tubes and bottles in the 1800s to the vast selection available today, the hummingbird feeder has come a long way. We can trace its origins back to early pioneers like Andrew Jackson Saunders who recognized people’s growing fascination with hummingbirds and sought to attract them by artificial means. With each decade, new designs, materials, and manufacturing methods pushed the hummingbird feeder forward and opened the practice of backyard bird feeding to a wider audience.
Of course, the history is still being written. Excitement around hummingbirds remains strong, and each year brings fresh ideas and approaches. The quest to create the perfect hummingbird feeder for convenience, beauty, and effectiveness continues. But for opening new possibilities and launching an industry, we have those innovators from a century ago to thank.
