Unveiling the Best Hummingbird Feeder Options
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- #hummingbirds #marksbackyardbirds #backyardbirdwatching
What is the best hummingbird feeder? There are many hummingbird feeders on the market. Mark explains what are his favorites and why. Feeding angle, anti-bee qualities, capacity and other factors are considered important.
Saucer-type Hummingbird Feeders: shopbackyardbirdcenter.com/co...
Bottle-type Hummingbird Feeders: shopbackyardbirdcenter.com/co...
Mark McKellar is a wildlife biologist with over 35 years of bird study experience. He has a degree in Fish and Wildlife Sciences from North Carolina State University and has worked for the Department of the Army, the Wildlife Departments of North Carolina and Missouri. He ran nature centers for many years in Missouri and Pennsylvania before buying the Backyard Bird Center in the Northland area of Kansas City. Mark has led hundreds of bird hikes both locally and abroad. He has taught classes about birds and other wildlife to groups of all ages and brings that knowledge to the customers of his retail business every day. More information about Mark at backyardbirdcenter.com/about-...
#marksbackyardbirds, #hummingbirds, #hummingbirdfeeders
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:42 Saucer Feeders
02:27 Easy to clean
03:48 Perches
Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something we'll receive a small commission.
Mark's Amazon store:
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If you live in a windy area, get a glass bottle feeder because it's heavier and will stay still better than saucer feeders. Also in my experience, hummingbirds absolutely do prefer feeders with perches. The dominant bully hummingbird doesn't stay sitting at the feeder itself to guard it, either, but instead finds a perch a few feet away.
Good info thank you! I am in Brazil, during the day, the hummingbirds are coming inside my house looking for food. At night, the bats come in and eat the bananas, especially when ripe. I need a bat house and a hummingbird feeder.
Thank you Mark. Short, sweet, informative video.
I use a 4 oz. style saucer feeder with only a couple of hummers in my area. I can also lessen it to 2 oz when they are just arriving. You forgot to mention the ant moat that doubles as a water feeder for small birds.
I don't feel they are deep enough to be very effective as they water evaporates quickly. I still recommend using a full sized ant moat. th-cam.com/video/y44n5qKoSJM/w-d-xo.html
Hi! I'm in San Diego County and have many hummingbirds all year long, but more come to my feeder in the late fall and winter. How many feeders would be the right amount? I also have a hummingbird male who guards my single feeder. Any advice is appreciated! I'm so glad I found your channel!
The key to a dominate male or female is sightlines. If you can separate feeders with a good strong divider, like front yard/back yard, it can cut way down on the domination by one bird. Having lots of flowers available in addition to your feeders is also a great way to provide food for them. Welcome to the channel.
Hi, I am a novice glassblower and wanting to make some humming bird feeders and I found this information extremely valuable. I *think* I can use this great info to make something that is both beautiful AND optimally functional. Thank you for the great video. If I make something worth sharing, I would like to send you one for your honest review and opinions.
Thank you for reaching out and the kind words. If you want to send one to the store address in the comments, I will give it a look. Unfortunately, the hummers want be back till April in our area for their “opinion “.
Thanks for sharing. Subbed!
Mine is neither. It’s a single flower feeder that holds 1 cup of nectar. So Real Single Flower Hummingbird Feeder - Pink it’s the type I got. I love it.
I'm a new subscriber and I've probably binged about 20 of your videos in the past few days! Great content.
Last summer, I planted Scarlet Emperor runner beans and holy cow, I can't tell you how many hummers I saw on the flowers! I already got two packs of seed for next year so I can have them in the front and back yards. I like to do a combination of sugar water in the feeder, plus pollinator friendly plants. Which do you think has the edge? The flowers since they're out in nature, or the feeders, since it's likely a more concentrated punch? Thanks again - really enjoying your channel a lot from Chapel Hill, NC.
Hi! Welcome to the channel. As you probably read, I am originally from NC. I am with you a combination is absolutely the best. Diverse nutrition from the plants and insects but the sugar content at a feeder really helps them put on weight when they need it.
Thanks very much. I prefer the saucer types vs the bottle too although the hummingbirds don't seem to care. The bottles leaked so I switched to the saucer.
100% agree
You didn't discuss the ant moat!! Very important! What is best in the moat, water or oil??
That is a whole video to itself th-cam.com/video/y44n5qKoSJM/w-d-xo.html
I saw my first yesterday.
High view 429 or Ultra 367? Both 4 ports. Trying to decide between the two. Does the perch height or angle matter? Which would you personally recommend or have heard most positive feedback on?
I know the owner of Aspects® swears by the High Perch design. I've never seen a difference. To me, their appeal is the angle feeding and their anti-bee design. My favorite of their line is the Little Fancy.
Hi, from San Diego California. I have a hummingbird feeder and a small tree near by where they will perch. So they feed and then just rest. I rather see them resting on the tree than the bird feeder
They like to have a good view of the feeder so they can chase away others.
I’m in South Carolina/North Carolina border. I started with a red/orange ballon shaped glass hummingbird feeder and had 8 hummingbirds show up on day 3 within a hour. I’m going to add a saucer feeder and I’m going with a 1 to 4 in one feeder and 1 to 3 in the other. It gets hot (95+) in the summer so I think the 1/4 should do better. Any advice?
You are going n great hummingbird country there. I Definitely recommend the 1 to 4. I grew up in Robeson County NC near the SC line.
i feel like some Audobon designed feeders and houses are excellent, and others are a complete miss, for me. the saucer feeder looks great, but their bat houses are lacking (they need to be properly vented + sealed for protection from rain and ventilation). it's hard to judge them sometimes until you try them and realize the drawbacks vs benefits.
Very true. We feel that is how we have narrowed down the products we endorse. My staff and I have tried countless feeders and houses.
Hi, I bought a couple of saucer feeders, the Little Fancy version. Both of them lean because the stem doesn't extend straight up, it is at an angle. Do you have any suggestions (other than to bend the rod) to get them to hang straight? This is very annoying so any help you can provide would be appreciated.
I have had to bend a rod before but Aspects has a lifetime warranty so we can get you a new rod.
@@MarksBackyardBirds Thank you, this is very helpful. I will give it a try after I figure out which way to bend the rod to get it balanced. Do I bend the top towards the deep end of the liquid or away....TBD
@@reddor5532 Trial and error! Wish I could be more helpful.
Hi, live in LV. Feeder would be in direct sun, so liquid will get hot, will that stop birds from feeding?
I doubt it will keep them from feeding at the feeder but you will need to change the nectar very frequently. Only fill the feeder part way full so you are not wasting too much.
Mark, do you think seed and suet eating birds at feeders increase the chance of hummingbirds coming to a nearby nectar feeder, or are hummingbirds just so different it doesn’t matter?
I don't think that it really affects them. They are so focused on potential nectar sources. Red and orange color seem to be the major factors. Any flowering plants in the spring help.
My main lady that has been coming for 4 years and she will perch on a specific feeder and guard it jealously. It’s really fun, in a violent kinda way. I have many many hummingbirds the sapsuckers bring them earlier to my yard and then 3 gardens around the parameter of my house are planted just for pollinators. Feeders are on my front porch. Perhaps that why I end up involved in the squabbling🤷♀️
They definitely need a variety of flowers as well as your feeders. It sounds like you are providing a buffet line.
@@MarksBackyardBirds I do. And it grows every year. Just having enough blooms open at all times during their visit(some are year round here but after the babies grow up, the buffet closes. Instantly
@@wandawilliams2397 Late August/early September is peak time for hummers and it can be quite an impressive show.
@@MarksBackyardBirds true story. I love that all squabbles dissolve and they will eat together. I have a tube with 40 ports on it. Closest to their favorite nesting tree( and my eves). It is time to change out my feeders. Speaking of. Georgia weather it will become hooch given too much time the single system is harder to
Do but spreads the fights enough that no gangs happen. I learned better from my main lady.
@@MarksBackyardBirds honey down south they don’t sprinkle in. A few follow the sapsuckers. I still amazed thepecan tree still gives nuts. But I digress. Once the hummingbirds mint in s in flower it in like donkey Kong it builds from 6-10 initial birds a full 2 weeks before any of my friends have a visit. There are 60 acres of blackberries and wild rose my nectar is just a supplement for breeding season. I have a mimosa tree that is high real estate. It happens that it is in full view of my kitchen window Nd he front porch. Thee are brave ones that feed from a “nectar ring “ on my hand.
We have bought 3 bottle feeders, all leaked...glue g7n helped, but , became messy, or sticky where dripped. The saucer type , I noticed didn't drip. But , the pole hook keeps feeder from being level. Seems pole isn't straight...and the feed is off level. I used a tie to position it so birds could drink without stick8ng their bill into ..hmm nothing. More birds seemed to like hiding on the other side of bottle type...and used the perches more. But,the mess on the balcony . Hopefully the saucer type works okay. We have four birds... no bees. 😊
They are my favorite. Good luck!
In the 5 years i've been doing this they've been coming to the bottle type, but suddenly this year in July I had a very serious honey bee problem. Never had a problem with bees before, and out of frustration I switched them over to the aspect high view saucer feeders they were not happy with me at all. All i wanted was for them to be able to eat in peace. but they pretty much refused these feeders.
They are creatures of habit and do not like change. I do think they will adapt over time but it is something that many bird species do. I believe new feeders to trigger a survival instinct that they have to overcome.
Anything you can do to help honey bee populations is an absolute must. Without honey bees, we die --along with a whole lot of other flora and fauna.
I see that you sell the fruit fly Hummingbird feeder, what is your opinion of them?
Like most feeders, the Hummbug is a neat concepts and I have a few customers that have had luck with it. Also like other feeders, you need to place it so that raccoons and opossums can't get into it. Hummers need those insects for their young.
why dont manufactures or humzinger design the base like the humzinger base which is more effective for hummingbirds and the gravity feed glass top and prefer glass over plastic.
The Gravity pull of the nectar would negate the benefit of the hummzinger base design.
My saucer feeder doesn't balance right so all the nectar ends up on one side and spills out when there's a breeze. 😠
Usually that can be corrected by bending the rod slightly. If it is an Aspect’s they will send you a new hanging rod.
@@MarksBackyardBirds Thanks for replying. I had tried that but it made it more wonky. I guess I didn't bend it the right way. I'm going to try adding some weight to one of the perches.
The disc feeder is difficult to fill without spillage though.
They should be emptied and cleaned each time you need to fill them.
I used the perky pet glassbottle feeders for years. The plastic screw on bottom that has the ports with Redhill type flowers is now JUNK. The piece cracks and then it's trash. They told me they have a 1 tear warranty and parts are not available to purchase. I cannot believe it. I bought 8 of those feeders last year and they are now trash. BEWARE of the Perky Pet feeders
I only carry them because some people demand them. They have been around forever but they are cheaply made.
As much as I like the saucer my hummers don’t. They go for the single feeders in my plant baskets.
Birds are creatures of habit. They like what they like and, in many cases, they will not use a different kind of feeder.
@@MarksBackyardBirds all of the single feeders lessen the fights. Although I do enjoy them, don’t want to damage my girls before the boys arrive and it’s tag team rasslin’
@@wandawilliams2397 LOL.
That's not a 45 degree angle. It's not even close to being a 45. Thats about 15 degrees. It's nearly flat.