How to See More Hummingbirds... Without Leaving Your Home

Up until now, you may have only seen one or two hummingbirds at a time briefly visiting your feeder. You may even be able to tell that you have at least one male and one female, usually visiting separately.

It’s probably not your fault that you don’t see a lot of birds because no one ever taught you how to handle these territorial birds.

From now on, you’re going to be able to see multiple hummingbirds.

And here’s how you’re going to do it—hang multiple feeders. If you think about any teenage male of any species, you know they want to be able to establish their own area. What typically happens this time of year is that one bird, usually a young male, decides that a particular feeder is ‘his’ and fights off the other birds. As we approach migration and the birds strive to prepare for their difficult journey, territorial fights become more frequent.

So, place another small feeder—or a few of them—about 15 feet from the main feeder. If space is an issue in your yard, instead of separating the feeders by distance, find a way to block the view from one feeder to another. You can place your feeders on opposite sides of a tree or large shrub or locate them as far apart as on different sides of your home. Be certain not to place the feeders near your seed or suet feeders, since hummingbirds are easily intimidated by the larger bird species.

By using a multiple feeder system, you’ll likely find one feeder occupied by a single, aggressive, bird or pair of birds if he has a mate. Meanwhile, the other feeder will get substantially more traffic and you’ll see scenes like the one in the picture.

The main feeder could be the one you’re currently using. For other feeding stations, consider small feeders that hold 4 ounces or less. Don’t have a small hummingbird feeder? Visit us at https://www.cockatoocreations.com/hummingbird-feeders to find a fine selection of hummingbird feeders, including those elusive small feeders.