Watching birds at the feeder in your garden or backyard is one of the ways to enjoy birdwatching. It is also considered to be an inexpensive pastime because all it requires is the naked eye to watch birds. But let’s go one step further to attract more birds in the backyard. Planting bird feeders is something that will be enjoyed, not only by you, but also by birds around.
Did You Know?
A shady spot ensures a leakproof feeder because when the sun heats up the sugar, the air pressure rises, thereby causing leakage.
Making hummingbird feeders at home is not only easy, but also rewarding. Recycle that empty wine bottle from your kitchen or the vacant mason jar in your attic as a substitute for spending on store-bought models for bird feeders. It is a treat to the eye to see hummingbirds feast on these feeders.
There are a number of ways to create these hummingbird feeders. We are sure that after reading this write-up, you will thank us every morning. Because after making these hummingbird feeders, there will not be a single morning when you will not hear those birds chirping and fluttering their tiny wings outside your window.
With a Wine Bottle
Choose an empty wine bottle preferably in red or you can paint it red. This is because the color red attracts hummingbirds. It is like a signal saying “food here!” Through the cork, drill a hole.
Fill the bottle with nectar, and seal the bottle with the same rubber cork. For making the nectar, take 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar and about 450 ml of boiling water. Mix the solution and let it attain room temperature.
Thereby you should take a straw-like pipe and tightly insert it into the hole of the cork. This should be done such that the nectar in the bottle easily passes through the straw.
Now find a cool, shady place where you are expecting the birds to come and feed on the feeder.
Here you can tie up the bottle with wires or ropes, through a firm foundation in a slanting position.
Voila! Your new wine bottle hummingbird feeder is ready.
(Note: The same procedure can be followed while making a hummingbird feeder with a mason jar and with a plastic bottle, which have been explained below.)
With a Plastic Bottle
- Initially, take a plastic bottle and clean it thoroughly.
- Now drill a hole on the bottle of the cap.
- Then glue the cap upside down inside the top of the bottle. Remember to leave one-fourth inch of the cap sticking out of the bottle.
- After this, you can either hang the bottle through a copper wire (mentioned above) on to a firm support. You can also drill a hole through the bottom of the bottle, thereby screwing a hook in snug, and suspend it through a support.
- Do not forget to fill the bottle with the nectar before sealing it. The plastic feeder is ready to be used.
With a Mason Jar
- A mason jar, unlike a plastic bottle or a wine bottle, is heavy, and keeping it securely suspended through a support can be a hassle. Nevertheless, the similar procedure of cage formation through a copper wire can be followed.
- After this, the lid has to be glued tightly to the mouth of the bottle. Drill holes through the lid, and fix tubes through the holes. These holes will be the feeders for the hummingbirds.
Hummingbird Feeder Design Ideas
How Can You Maintain Hygiene?
- In order to be a sensible host, make sure that the feeders are sterilized or cleaned properly before using.
- The feeders should be selected wisely. They should be easy to clean.
- Special attention should be given to the color red. It is the only color that alerts the hummingbird that there is something to eat. If your feeder is not red in color, feel free to tie a red ribbon to the feeder. This helps to a great extent.
Precautions
- While making the nectar for the feeder, boil a tablespoon of sugar into 450 ml of water. Boiling helps in destroying the chlorine in the water, thereby keeping the hummingbird safe.
- Boiling the solution for too long will change the ratio of the water and sugar. Do not forget to cool the nectar before filling your feeder.
- Addition of any food color into the nectar should be avoided. Food color is harmful for birds.
- Be sure to keep an eye on the nectar. This nectar is an easy breeding ground for yeasts. Yeasts ferment the solution, which can be fatal to the hummingbirds.
- The formation of molds, milky texture, and black spots in the solution must be checked for, regularly. Change the nectar frequently.
- Hot water can be used to boil the glass or metal feeders. If bleach is used to sterilize the container, make sure you rinse it thoroughly before using it.
What is the Appropriate Placement for Your Feeder?
- Keeping the feeder in a cool shade helps you a great deal. Watch out for cats and dogs. Place it out of their reach.
- If the feeder is kept somewhere outside the window, you might as well enjoy watching an elegant hummingbird sipping in the nectar.
- Would you like dead ants floating through your nectar? Even if you do, we are sure that the bird will surely not feed from a feeder infested with ants or bees.
So what are you waiting for? These birds must be waiting for you! Start at once.
