Hummingbirds make every day in your garden a joy as they whir by in acrobatic flight. You can attract them by planting flowers they love or by putting out a well-placed feeder or two. You’ve probably noticed that many hummingbird feeders you can buy are red, but does that mean hummingbirds are attracted to the color red?
Yes, hummingbirds are attracted to red. “Hummingbirds have an enhanced sensitivity to colors in the red to yellow spectrum,” says Erika Zambello, communications director for Audubon Florida.
So, feeders that are mostly red do attract birds (though the nectar inside your feeder should not be dyed red; it can harm them). Along with red, hummingbirds are attracted to the colors orange, pink, and yellow, and you can also attract them with brightly colored flowers in these shades.
However, there’s a lot more to attracting hummingbirds than color. Hummingbirds also have amazing memories, says Zambello. “They generally return to the same area in which they hatched, and once they find patches of flowers or feeders, they may return year after year.”
If you want your yard to be a hummingbird magnet, here’s what you should take into account.
What Really Attracts Hummingbirds to Your Yard
You can support these tiny winged wonders by making your backyard an oasis for them and pollinators of all types. First, plant different annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs with successive bloom times. You also should leave sticks and small branches intact on bushes and trees to provide perches for hummingbirds, who like to sit and survey your garden.
In addition, minimizing or eliminating the use of pesticides in your yard helps support hummingbird populations. In fact, hummingbirds also eat insects and spiders and feed them to babies in the nest.
Does Flower Shape Really Matter to Hummingbirds?
It’s true that hummingbirds especially enjoy tubular-shaped flowers such as bee balm, trumpet honeysuckle, and hummingbird sage, but flower shape doesn’t matter as much as you might think.
Hummingbirds burn a lot of calories with their energetic flights zipping around your garden. “They need high sugar concentrations in the food that they eat, and if these resources are closer together, that reduces the energy they need to use up to flit from flower to flower,” says Zambello. “Research has shown that they will visit flowers in a wide variety of shapes that meet those requirements, regardless of their shapes.”
For the most bountiful buffet for your hummingbirds, plant a selection of plants of all types, including native species, says Zambello.
Never Put Red Nectar in Your Hummingbird Feeder
It’s not necessary to dye the nectar red. In fact, premade, pre-dyed nectar for hummingbirds is harmful and not necessary, says Zambello. There’s no need to buy hummingbird nectar. You can make your own for a fraction of the price of store-bought (see our Audubon-approved best hummingbird food recipe). Just make sure to clean and refill feeders regularly, about once a week in cool weather or every few days in hot weather to prevent the food from spoiling.
