Can I Put a Hummingbird Feeder With Other Bird Feeders?

Hummingbirds aren't happy sharing their favorite feeders.

There are 330 species of hummingbirds, all in the Western hemisphere and most living in the rainforests of Central and South America. Very few of these species visit North America on annual migrations -- only about 26 species ever venture north of Mexico. Because hummingbirds are rare, it is worth setting up ideal feeders to attract them into view. It's also worth spacing different bird feeders carefully to promote harmony in the backyard bird sanctuary.

Perfect Site

The best viewing location for a hummingbird feeder is by a window. You don't want birds slamming into the window en route to supper, so a spot near or next to a window is best. Shade will keep the nectar fresh longer as direct sun tends to overheat it and hasten fermentation, which can be fatal for hummingbirds. A nectar-producing plant nearby, especially one with red flowers, will double the attraction and provide some cover for the tiny birds to hide from predators. Once you select the right spot for the hummingbird feeder, let that determine where to place other types of bird feeders. Songbirds, starlings and even bats will try to muscle in on a nectar supply, so don't make it easy for them.

Twice as Nice, or Not

Hummingbirds are fanatically aggressive little creatures and extremely territorial about their food source. They will defend a feeder vigorously. Hanging two feeders close together is a guarantee that one bird is going to claim dibs and attack any other hummers that try to share. Generally, the aggressor that claims a feeder and defends it will be a dominant male hummingbird. This aggressive trait, exacerbated during mating and nesting season, also means that hummer feeders are better located a distance from other types of bird feeders, just to keep peace in the backyard.

Mealtime Manners

Encourage uneventful meals and more feeding hummingbirds by hanging multiple nectar feeders far apart so that no one bird takes charge of all of them. Check the sight lines when you select feeder spots. You want to hang feeders where an eagle-eyed hummer can't see more than one of them at a time. Avoid swooping, attacking birds by isolating each feeder and interrupting sight lines to minimize aggression. Orioles, chickadees, finches, nuthatches, tanagers, grackles and mockingbirds are some of the birds attracted to hummingbird feeders. To discourage communal meals or squabbling, keep seed feeders, suet feeders and other bird feeding stations away from nectar feeders.

Separation Strategies

Hummingbirds are smart. They will look for a perch in a tree or bush within sight of "their" feeder. If a bird can perch somewhere in sight of two or more nectar feeders, it may decide to guard all of them from other birds, even when it isn't feeding. One way to be sure this can't happen is to place nectar feeders on opposite sides of a house, garage, garden shed or other structure that completely blocks the view. Spread the wealth around in a yard busy with all types of birds. Use multiple feeders suitable for different bird species but locate them near nesting boxes and plants favored by specific birds. Sunflower seeds, cracked corn and peanuts in a bird feeder that is near a birdbath and away from the hummingbird feeder won't interest the hummingbirds. Those treats will help to keep pigeons, starlings and other disruptive pests away from the hummer feeder.

References

• How to Enjoy Hummingbirds; When should I Start Feeding Hummingbirds?; Michael Baughman
• Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory; Hummingbird FAQs
• World of Hummingbirds; Hummingbird Behavior
• West Virginia University Extension: Those "Humdinger" Hummingbirds; Norma Venable; March 2000
• University of Florida Extension: Birdfeeders, What to Consider When Selecting; Mark E. Hostetler, et al.
• Alabama Copperative Extension: Feeding Birds; Jim Armstrong; September 2010