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	Feeding Hummingbirds

Learn more about Feeding Hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds return to our state in late April or early May. Put up your feeder when the first really warm weather arrives during that time. Feeders should be placed in partial shade.

To make your own nectar, bring to a boil a mixture of one part sugar to 4-8 parts water and allow to cool. Hummingbirds will investigate anything that is red, so if your feeder has some red on it you do not need to put red dye in the nectar. Do not use honey in your nectar because it can grow a fungus fatal to hummingbirds. Change the nectar in your feeder and put in fresh nectar every 3-4 days or more often in the hottest days of summer. You should also clean the feeder at this time. Store extra nectar in the refrigerator. Hummingbirds will continue to feed on insects and other flowers in addition to your feeder so they will get the diet they need.

If you have a problem with bees, try getting a feeder with bee guards. Ants can also be a problem--try putting petroleum jelly on the wire holding the feeder so they cannot travel down to the feeder. Mammals, such as flying squirrels, will occasionally discover a feeder and empty it at night.

The only hummingbird we have in New Hampshire is the Ruby-throated hummingbird, although a rare vagrant species turns up every once in a while. The male ruby-throated has a red throat that will appear black if it is not in the sun. The female has a whitish-gray breast and both have a greenish back. The young resemble the female during their first year.

Hummingbirds migrate south at summer's end. Adults will usually migrate first, often as early as the beginning of August. The young usually stay longer and are gone by the end of September. Research has shown that hummingbirds will migrate regardless of whether there is food present, so you can leave your feeder up until the weather turns colder and the hummingbirds are gone.

We hope you enjoy watching these wonderful birds.