Hummingbirds are amazing little creatures that bring joy to backyard bird watchers across North America. Their iridescent feathers shimmer in the sunlight as they dart from flower to flower sipping nectar. Hummingbirds have become increasingly popular to have visit yard feeders where they can be easily observed up close. This has led many people to wonder, will hummingbirds stay in one area if you continually supply them with food from feeders? Here is a quick look at what attracts hummingbirds and how to encourage them to return to your yard.
What Attracts Hummingbirds
There are two main things that will attract hummingbirds to an area: food and habitat. Hummingbirds sustain themselves on flower nectar and small insects. They need a continual supply of these to survive. Hummingbirds are migratory and follow the bloom season from south to north in the spring and back south in the fall. They will go where the food supply is most plentiful. Here are some of the factors that attract hummingbirds to stop in a certain area:
- Flowers – Native flowers and flowering trees, bushes, and vines provide nectar for hummingbirds. Trees such as crabapple, tulip poplar, and basswood are favorites of hummingbirds. Flowers like bee balm, cardinal flower, columbine, and coral bells are frequently visited by hummingbirds. Plants that produce lots of flowers through the season will provide the most support for hummingbirds.
- Feeders – If there is a lack of natural flowers, feeders are an excellent source of energy. They provide a concentrated sugar water solution that the birds can quickly consume. Hummingbirds will remember reliable food sources and return to them regularly. Blooms may produce food for only a limited time, but feeders can be kept filled consistently.
- Water – Hummingbirds get most of their water needs from the nectar they consume. But they will also visit water sources such as bird baths, misters, dripping faucets, and small fountains to bathe and drink.Having a water feature near your feeder may help attract them.
- Habitat – Hummingbirds look for areas that fulfill their basic needs – food, water, shelter, and nesting locations. They prefer habitats with a diversity of plants that supply nectar through the seasons. The presence of nesting materials such as mosses, lichens, and spider webs may help attract them. Trees and shrubs provide shelter and perches.
- Other Birds – Hummingbirds are highly competitive. If they spot other hummingbirds, bees, or insects in an area, they assume it’s a good foraging spot. They may join the activity. Having Orioles or native bees around your flowers and feeders can help attract more hummingbirds.
By providing the things that hummingbirds need such as food, water, shelter, and nesting materials, you can create an attractive habitat that will appeal to them and encourage them to return frequently.
Keeping Hummingbirds Coming Back
Once you have attracted hummingbirds to your yard, you will want to keep them coming back. Here are some tips to create a hummingbird friendly habitat that will have them visiting all season:
- Plant a diversity of hummingbird attracting flowers and flowering shrubs. Choose native species when possible. Have flowers that bloom early, mid-season, and late to provide nectar through the seasons.
- Keep feeders clean, fresh, and well stocked. Change the nectar every 2-3 days or more often in hot weather. Have some feeders in sun and some in shade. Use a nectar mix of 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water. Do not use honey, artificial sweeteners, food coloring, or insecticides.
- Consider putting up more than one feeder. Hummingbirds can be territorial over feeders. Having multiple feeding stations spreads the birds out.
- Provide water sources such as misters, drippers, and small waterfall fountains. Add stones so the hummingbirds have a place to perch near the water.
- Don’t use pesticides. Hummingbirds eat many small insects. Pesticides reduce their natural food source.
- Leave dead snags and trees where hummingbirds can nest. They use lichen covered branches to build soft nests.
- Avoid trimming away flowers, vines, and nesting material in the late summer and fall. Hummingbirds need access to food and nesting supplies during migration.
- Consider leaving feeders up later in the fall and putting them out earlier in spring. This provides food during seasonal migrations.
Here is a table summarizing the optimal habitat conditions and features that will best attract hummingbirds to your yard:
Habitat Condition | Features that Attract Hummingbirds |
---|---|
Food | Native flowers, flowering trees/shrubs, nectar feeders |
Water | Bird baths, misters, drippers, fountains |
Shelter | Trees, shrubs, vines |
Nesting | Downed branches, mosses, lichens, spider webs |
Migration | Extended seasons for feeders and flowers |
By modifying your habitat to provide what hummingbirds need and want, you can create an environment that hummingbirds will remember and return to frequently. The key is making sure their needs are met consistently throughout the seasons.
How Long Do Hummingbirds Stay in One Area?
Hummingbirds are migratory birds. They travel between their winter grounds in Mexico and Central America and their summer breeding grounds in the United States and Canada. They follow the bloom season as they migrate, stopping in areas where flower nectar and insects are plentiful. Here is some information about their migration and how long they spend in one spot:
- Spring Migration – Most hummingbirds start migrating north in February and March. As they move north, they will stop in areas for a few days to several weeks to feed and rest. Arrival dates in northern states and Canada may be late May and early June.
- Breeding Season – Once hummingbirds reach their northern breeding grounds, they spend the summer nesting and raising young. They will fiercely defend good feeding territories during this time and may stay in one area from a couple months up to the entire summer.
- Fall Migration – The migration south begins in late summer, starting in mid-July in Canada and gradually progressing south through the states. Hummingbirds may start showing up in southern wintering grounds as early as July and August. Migration continues through October for most species.
- Wintering Grounds – Hummingbirds spend winters in tropical areas of Mexico and Central America near the equator where flower blossoms and insects are available year round. They may reside in the same winter territory for several months.
So hummingbirds may only stop in one spot during migration for a few weeks as they follow changing food sources. However, once they settle into breeding or wintering areas they will stay in the same vicinity for months at a time until the next seasonal migration.
Do Hummingbirds Return to the Same Areas Every Year?
Hummingbirds show impressive memory and will return to the same breeding and wintering grounds year after year if the habitat meets their needs. Here are some interesting facts about hummingbirds returning to previous locations:
- Breeding Sites – Male hummingbirds are very territorial over breeding sites with reliable food, water, and nesting materials. If they mate and nest successfully in an area, they will often return to that same habitat the following summer.
- Banding Studies – Hummingbirds banded at wintering and breeding sites have shown up in the exact same locations year after year. Some birds returned to the same sites for as many as seven years.
- Feeders – Hummingbirds remember the locations of reliable food sources like feeders. If you maintain hummingbird friendly habitat, there’s an excellent chance the same birds will come back next year.
- Migration Routes – Research indicates hummingbirds follow the same migration routes and make the same periodic rest stops in a remarkably consistent fashion each season.
- Age and Gender – Adult male hummingbirds exhibit the strongest site fidelity to previous breeding and wintering grounds. Females and young birds may be more likely to explore new areas.
Providing a dependable source of food and an ideal habitat are the best ways to encourage hummingbirds to come back to your yard year after year. A female may remember a great feeding location and return with her new offspring. Creating your own hummingbird sanctuary can result in generations of birds returning season after season.
Ways to Increase Hummingbird Site Fidelity
Here are some methods you can use to help increase hummingbird loyalty and returns to your yard:
- Place feeders in the same locations year after year so the birds remember them. Choose durable feeders that will last many seasons.
- Maintain a constant, varied source of nectar through the seasons with flowering plants and feeders.
- Keep sugar/water ratios, feeding times, feeder styles consistent from year to year.
- Gradually expand your habitat with additional food sources, water features, plants over time.
- Note when hummingbirds arrive each spring and leave each fall. Adjust feeders and flowers accordingly.
- Avoid use of pesticides and herbicides; provide insects.
- Supply shelter and nesting materials – trees, mosses, lichens, branches.
- Welcome all returning hummingbirds; minimize threats from other birds.
Hummingbirds have excellent spatial memories. Providing them with ideal conditions year round allows them to thrive and remember your yard as a breeding home or migratory stopover. With extra care you can create a beloved hummingbird habitat that will welcome new generations each year.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds can bring exotic beauty and lively activity to backyards across North America. With their shimmering plumage and energetic flight, it’s no wonder many want to attract these tiny birds. By understanding what appeals to hummingbirds and consistently providing the essential habitat features they need such as food, water, shelter, and nesting sites, you can encourage hummingbirds to return to your yard year after year. A prime location with ideal access to nectar, nesting materials, and protection that meets their needs in spring, summer, fall, and winter will create a beloved hummingbird haven that will have these amazing flyers coming home season after season.