How to Make a Glass Jar Bird Feeder

Nectar in a glass jar attracts hummingbirds.

Hummingbirds --- the tiniest of all birds --- are found all over North America during the spring and summer months. The beautiful ruby-throated variety, with iridescent red and green feathers, is prevalent in Eastern states. Bird-watchers favor hummingbirds for their cute appearance and entertaining hovering and zooming movements. A simple homemade glass jar bird feeder filled with sweet nectar will attract these birds to your garden.

Things You'll Need

• Red ribbon
• Long, thin glass jar
• 1/4 cup table sugar
• Water
• Wire

Instructions

1. Tie a red ribbon in a bow around the mouth of a long, thin glass jar. Red colors attract hummingbirds, since they remind them of nectar-producing flowers.

2. Dissolve a quarter cup of table sugar in a cup of hot water. Allow the solution to cool.

3. Pour the solution into the hummingbird feeder. Wrap a piece of wire around the jar and wrap it around a tree trunk or branch to secure the feeder.

4. Replace the solution with fresh nectar every day or two.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not use red food coloring in the solution. The ribbon is sufficient to attract hummingbirds, and red food coloring may harm them.

• Do not replace sugar with honey, which supports the growth of harmful fungi and bacteria when mixed with water.

• You may use 1/3 cup sugar instead of ¼ cup during bad weather conditions, when hummingbirds require more energy.

References

• "Everybody's Everywhere Backyard Bird Book"; The Editors of Klutz Press; 1992
• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Feeding Hummingbirds
• "The Kids' Summer Handbook"; Jane Drake and Ann Love; 1994