HummingbirdFeeders

These Hummingbird Feeders are my FAVORITE

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to click on one of the product links in this post and make a purchase, then Coffee & Chlorophyll may earn an advertising commission. For more information, refer to Disclosures

Summertime evenings at our last house were magical. With the windows open to catch the breeze, we could hear and see hummingbirds visiting our feeders by the dozens. Broad-tailed, Calliope, and Rufous hummingbirds would all vie for a seat at one of the six feeders we had hung. We could be less than 3 feet away, just on the other side of a window screen, during this feeding frenzy, and they never even noticed us. It was truly an incredible experience!

One thing I learned when catering to such a multitude of zippy, flying jewels is which feeders are the best, and which ones are just meh. After much trial and error, I found a company that makes the best hummingbird feeders, in my humble opinion, and switched almost exclusively to using their feeders. The company is called Grateful Gnome. No, I am not sponsored by them. No, they have never paid me or sent me any free feeders. I simply love their hummingbird feeders and wanted to share them with you!

Finding the Perfect Hummingbird Feeder

I discovered the Grateful Gnome line of hummingbird feeders a few years ago when I was looking around at my gaggle of mismatched feeders. Some were leaking, some had yellowing plastic, some were faded from the sun, and some had missing or broken flowers around the ports. I realized that my feeders all looked a little worn out and weathered, and that, as many as I had, I should at least hang a pretty one out in the front yard, for visitors and passersby to see. I started searching local stores for a higher quality, more decorative feeder. I loved the look of the simple jar feeders, and hummingbirds had no problem finding them, even if they weren’t full of flashy colors, but I wanted something bright and pretty to hang from a shepherd's hook near my front walkway and be like a decorative garden accent.

That is when I found a beautifully intricate red glass jar feeder with a copper base. I used it for a while and then it started leaking. For me, leaking is a major red flag, especially coming from a place where sugar ants are so prevalent. Leaking sugar water attracts hoards of annoying ants, which is a big no-no for me, so it was back to the drawing board. I ended up deciding to get a gorgeous feeder from Grateful Gnome. They called it something like the “Orange Sugar Cube”. When it arrived in the mail, I was surprised at how much more beautiful it was than my other feeders! It was exactly what I was hoping for!

My Sugar Cube hummingbird feeder quickly become the favorite amongst my hummingbirds, as well. I’m not sure if the glass catches their eye more, or if they like the perches, or even if they just liked it’s location—but my Sugar Cube feeder was definitely the most popular with the hummingbirds. I liked how it looked, but even more so, I loved how easy it was to clean.

If you know anything about feeding hummingbirds, then you know that cleanliness is very important. Feeders must be cleaned at least once a week—more than once if temperatures are consistently above 90 degrees F. Some feeders have fake flowers in the ports that require special brushes (they look kind of like mascara brushes) to clean. Other feeders have reservoir bottles with a very narrow opening that I can’t even get a basic bottle brush in. My Sugar Cube could be washed by hand—no special brushes needed.

A few words about how I clean my feeders:

I clean my feeders at least once a week during the season—more often during peak season, when the hummers are emptying the nectar in just a couple days. To clean, I simply empty the feeders and place them in a plugged sink with hot water, as hot as the tap can dispense, and about 1 cup of bleach. I make sure all components are submerged and leave them in the sink while I mix up new nectar, which I make in a 4:1 water to sugar ratio. After feeders have soaked for 5-10 minutes in bleach solution, I rinse them very thoroughly and they are ready-to-go again. My feeders never have any issues with cloudiness, mold, or residues because I stick to this regimen all season.

Several months after purchasing my Sugar Cube, I also noticed a few other things. Unlike plastic that starts yellowing in the sun or getting faded, the glass jar reservoir looked exactly the same as the day I bought it. I also noticed that it didn’t leak, even on windy days. Some of the other plastic feeders I had would spill out in the wind, but even with 20-30 mile per hour wind gusts, my Grateful Gnome Sugar Cube was weighty enough to stay upright and contain it’s sugar water. It also came with an S-Hook that made it very easy to hang—I wish my other feeders came with such a nice, large hook.

After a couple seasons of consistent use, the red metal flowers around the feeding ports on my Sugar Cube were starting to fade—as is normal for something constantly in the sun. The hummingbirds still had no problem finding them, but I spruced them up with some red nail polish and it looked as good as the day I bought it!

One of my other hummingbird feeders sprung a crack in the base during peak hummingbird season. I thought about just ordering a cheap replacement, but Hunter said, “Why would we get another crappy one?! Get one of those pretty ones that will last a while.” And so we ordered another Grateful Gnome Hummingbird Feeder, and it may have been prettier than the first one! By the end of that summer, Hunter had finally had it with my mismatched gang of hummingbird feeders and so he replaced them all with Grateful Gnome feeders in different colors and shapes. To this day, they remain the winners around here—each so beautiful! I am constantly complimented on my pretty hummingbird feeders, to which my response is, “They are also very practical!”

And so, if you can’t tell, I have put a lot of thought into what makes the best hummingbird feeder and also the anatomy of a good hummingbird feeder.

I am not telling you that you have to purchase a Grateful Gnome hummingbird feeder, although, I do recommend them with high marks of praise! But I do want to tell you some things to consider when looking for a hummingbird feeder for your yard, especially if you are ready to step up from a cheap plastic feeder. If you look for these traits, then you can save yourself from some of the duds out there. Although, let’s be 100% honest here, even duds attract hummingbirds! Hummingbirds are not very picky. You can buy a feeder from the Dollar Store, and as long as you keep it cleaned and full of fresh nectar, hummingbirds will use it until the yellow plastic flowers break off and the bottle rots in the sun. When you are tired of these disposable, boring hummingbird feeders, and are ready to invest in a good hummingbird feeder, then consider the following:

Traits to look for in your quest for the Perfect Hummingbird Feeder

  1. It is easy-to-clean. The best hummingbird feeders can easily be broken apart and cleaned. I also like feeders that don’t require special brushes to ensure the feeding ports are clean.

  2. It is glass. I am partial to feeders with glass jar reservoirs, as opposed to plastic, because I find they don’t get moldy as quickly and they never fade, discolor, or rot in the sun.

  3. The reservoir/jar can be easily refilled. If the opening is too narrow, it can be a challenge to refill the nectar solution without having spillage or using a funnel.

  4. It does not leak. Need I say more?!

  5. You can order replacement parts. I never even knew this was an option until I discovered Grateful Gnome. Last year when I dropped one, the plastic base cracked and instead of purchasing a whole new feeder, I could just replace that one piece.

  6. It can hold an appropriate amount of sugar water. This might not be something that you think about when initially purchasing a feeder, but if you have one with too small a capacity, during peak season you may find yourself tired of having to refill it every other day. Pay especially close attention to capacity when ordering online (Example—I’ve seen some pretty little feeders with only a 4 ounce capacity. That is roughly 1/2 cup of nectar and for me, it would be impractical! If you only have one hummingbird, though, it might be just right.)

  7. The flower ports can easily be replaced or repainted. Many feeders with plastic flower ports have the flowers eventually break. Sometimes they break so bad, they leave a big opening, susceptible to wasp and bee invasion.

  8. It has perches, so the hummingbirds can rest. Even if hummingbirds don’t need to sit for a spell, it is always fascinating to watch them while they do. You can get a good look at them if they slow down to perch.

  9. It is easy to hang. This is pretty self explanatory. Sometimes using a patio chain can make a feeder even easier to hang.

  10. It’s beautiful. All things considered, looks should come last, but if you can find all of the above in an artfully-crafted and eye-catching design, then more power to you!

It's Time to Hang your Hummingbird Feeders

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to click on one of the product links in this post and make a purchase, then Coffee & Chlorophyll may earn an advertising commission. For more information, refer to Disclosures
When to hang your hummingbird feeders cover.png

Spring Migration is in full swing, here in Wyoming, but my favorite birds have not yet winged their way to my backyard. When they do, however, I plan on being ready for them, so they stick around. With that said, this week, I am hauling out my hummingbird feeders, filling them with sugar water, and hanging them in anticipation for the return of my hummingbirds.

Most hummingbirds migrate in the Spring, and then again in the Fall. In Spring, they migrate north to their breeding grounds all over North America, after having over-wintered in Mexico & Central America. Many hummingbirds start their journey north in February, following the bloom cycles of flowers, which provide nectar to fuel their migration. They travel by day, unlike many migratory birds that travel at night, so they can scout out food sources by sight along the way. If you want to provide them a valuable refueling station and catch the attention of the breeding hummingbirds in your area, then you need to have your feeders out by the time they reach you. If you are lucky, they will spot your feeder and become a repeat visitor. Many hummingbirds have incredible spatial memory—often remembering the exact location of certain flowers and feeders for many years to come. So your migratory hummingbirds from this spring might stop by on their way south in the fall, or even next spring, and your resident hummingbirds, or breeding hummingbirds from this summer, will probably be back to breed again next summer.

How to Know When to Hang your Hummingbird Feeders

The easiest way to determine when you should hang your hummingbird feeders back up largely depends on where you live.

  • West Coast, Desert Southwest, Florida, and the Gulf Coast: If you live on the West Coast, in California all the way up to Canada, or somewhere in the desert Southwest, you are likely to have year-round hummingbirds such as Anna’s Hummingbirds (North) or Allen’s Hummingbirds (South), that have become year-round residents to your area and have no need to migrate to central America for winter. This same principal applies to some parts of Florida and the Gulf Coast, except with Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. If you have year-round hummingbirds, then anytime is a good time to hang your feeders. These areas still experience flushes of other migratory hummingbird species in the spring & fall. Back when I lived in California, the Rufous Hummingbirds always migrated through in February.

  • Eastern North America: In the eastern United States, all the way up into central Canada, there are Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. These neotropical migrants enter North America via the Gulf Coast in March and slowly work their way all the way up into Canada by about May. As a general rule of thumb, if you live in the Southeast, plan on having your feeder up by March; if you live in the Northeast, plan on having your feeder up some time in April.

  • Mountain West: If you live in the mountain west, like I do (Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, etc), then you are lucky because we get to experience a whole array of beautiful hummingbird species, including Calliope, Black-Chinned, Broad-tailed, and Rufous. When they arrive in your region will depend largely on how far North you live. They don’t get to my yard, in Wyoming, until the end of April or early May.

If you want to pinpoint an even more accurate date of return, then you can do so by using historical dates of when the hummingbirds return to your area. If you know their average return date, then you can have hummingbird feeders hung one to two weeks before that date, in case they get back a little bit earlier. At our last house, the hummingbirds almost always showed up around May 4th or 5th. Knowing this, I would haul the feeders out at the end of April. Of course I had the advantage of knowing when they returned because I had fed them consistently for a few years. If you are new to feeding hummingbirds, then you probably are not likely to know when they return. No problem, though—now is actually one of the best times to start feeding hummingbirds! I have a great resource you can use to determine when they will be migrating through your neck of the woods, so you can be ready with a feeder when they get there!

Hummingbird Central

Hummingbird Central is a wonderful resource to refer to if you are interested in hummingbirds. Their website has an awesome section on Hummingbird Migration. It includes information about migration, as well as an interactive Hummingbird Sightings Maps for each year, in which users can report their first hummingbird sightings of spring. They also keep a map of historical hummingbird sightings, which is super helpful in knowing when you should hang your hummingbird feeders in your area. To access their map of previous sighting you can follow this link: 2014-2019 Hummingbird Spring Migration Interactive Map or refer to the map I’ve embedded below. By clicking on the menu icon in the top left corner of the blue information bar, you can select a year to look at. Then you can zoom into you area, and start clicking on some of the little hummingbird icons. They will tell you what kind of hummer was sighted, when, and where. There aren’t sightings for every city, but you can see their northward & inward movement, and click on a hummingbird icon near where you live to see when it was sighted. Using these dates, you can get a good estimate of when they are likely to come through your area.

Where are the Hummingbirds Now?

If you already have your hummingbird feeders hung in eager anticipation for their return, you can use this Year’s Map of Hummingbird Sightings to track how far North the hummingbirds have come, so far. And also, when you spot your first hummingbird, you can get your sighting added to this year’s spring migration map!


Your First Hummingbird Sighting of Spring

The data in these maps will continue to improve throughout the years, especially if you take the time to add your first hummingbird sighting of Spring to Hummingbird Central. It is very easy to do—just fill out this simple online form:
Submit Your First Hummingbird Sighting HERE

Last Year’s First Hummingbird to visit my yard was a beautiful male Broad-Tailed Hummingbird on May 5th

Last Year’s First Hummingbird to visit my yard was a beautiful male Broad-Tailed Hummingbird on May 5th

How Long to Leave Your Hummingbird Feeders Hanging

Spring migration and fall migration are both important for hummingbirds. Ideally, you should get your feeders hung before the hummingbirds migrate through your area in the Spring, and leave them up until after they migrate through your area in the Fall. I try to leave at least one feeder out for 2-3 weeks after I see the last one pass through. That way if there are an late-comers, they have a spot to refuel on their journey south, especially at a time when there aren’t as many natural nectar sources—flowers. And if you are one of the folks who are lucky enough to live in an area with year round hummingbirds, leave your feeders up all year round. In winter, especially if temperatures are lower, you may find the nectar lasts a bit longer. Plus, when nights are chilly and nectar sources aren’t as plentiful, the sugar water in your feeders will be even more valuable to your year-round hummers.

Anytime is a Good Time to Feed Hummingbirds

If you are finding this well after the hummingbirds have returned to your area for Spring & Summer, it’s not too late to put out a hummingbird feeder. It’s never too late (unless they’ve already headed south for winter)! Many hummingbirds will still successfully find and utilize a hummingbird feeder, even if it's not offered until midsummer or fall. Don’t be discouraged if they don’t find you right away. Just like any bird feeding, sometimes it takes time for the birds to find your feeder. Just be sure to offer a steady supply of clean nectar for your hummingbirds. This means cleaning your hummingbird feeders and changing the sugar water solution (4 parts water:1 part sugar until dissolved) out regularly—even if none have found your feeder yet! In summer, depending on how warm your climate is, this can be necessary 2-3 times per week, if temperatures are above 100 degrees F or if you are noticing any mold growth, black spots, or cloudiness.

So get your hummingbird feeders cleaned and ready to go—the hummingbirds are coming, the hummingbirds are coming! When they get to your yard, please add your first sighting to Hummingbird Central. And have so much fun enjoying these flying jewels—the fastest things on wings—your hummingbirds!