How to Hand-Feed Hummingbirds – 6 Critical Secrets to Enjoy This Heartwarming Garden Experience

If you’ve been reliably feeding hummingbirds in your garden all summer, then it’s time to make things personal and see if your hummers will eat out of your hand. And there's nothing else quite as heartwarming as hand-feeding hummingbirds. You’ll hear the buzz of their wings beating over 50 times a second, and feel the air disturbance, too. The best bit though? Having such a tiny creature place its trust in you.

Research shows that hummers remember their favorite feeders so, if your garden is full of regular visitors, you’re in with a good shot of achieving this summer dream. Hummingbirds are unlikely to hand-feed in spots they don’t consider regular sources of food, so you’ve already done most of the hard work. If you’ve also been feeding hummingbirds with nectar-rich flowers and helping them keep feathers clean with a floating solar fountain in a tub of water, they’ll be spending plenty of time in your yard and feeling pretty comfortable. They’ll also likely be accustomed to your presence.

Because hummingbirds can fly backwards – and they’re the only bird that can intentionally do so – they’re able to get themselves out of trouble, fast, which is why hummers are among the easiest birds to hand-feed. But there are a few critical secrets to get hummingbirds to feed from your hand.

1. Start With a Bigger Hand Feeder

You’ll make faster progress if you start with a bigger handheld feeder with two or three feeding ports such as this iBorn Mini Bird Feeder From Amazon. These are easier for birds to spot and hummers will gain confidence more quickly if two or three can feed together at the same time.

Once you’ve gained the hummingbirds’ trust, that's the time to move on to using smaller individual feeders such as these hand feeders from Walmart. You can either hold these flat in the palm of your hand, use the ring attachment, or wrap your finger and thumb around them to offer hummers a perch. Younger children often get on better with individual feeders with wrist straps such as this Hummingbird Wrist Feeder Set from Walmart. You can even buy hummingbird feeder hats – but begin with a big, basic handheld feeder.

2. Get Birds Used to You and the New Feeder

Set up your handheld feeder close to, and preferably next to, the hanging feeder hummers visit most regularly. Handheld feeders with suction-cup holders such as these iBorn Window Hummingbird Feeders from Amazon make it easy to attach a feeder securely to a non-porous surface, which saves spills. Depending on the design of your main feeder, you may even be able to attach the handheld design directly to it.

Keep both feeders filled with nectar such as this dye-free hummingbird food from Walmart, or a homemade syrup of sugar and water. To keep food fresh, change every other day once temperatures top 27°C, and every day over 32°C.

At the same time, make sure you’re present in the garden often when hummingbirds are feeding. Experiment with moving closer to the birds, always stepping away if they startle. Rather than focusing on the birds, try walking past the feeder without looking at them, so they don’t feel threatened by your presence. Sit down near the main feeder, too, reading a book or listening to music with wireless earbuds so you don't focus on the birds.

3. Stay Still as a Tree

Once birds have started using the small feeder as well as the hanging one, and they’re not startled by your presence, you can move on to the next step. Remove the main feeder to reduce options for the birds, hold the handheld feeder away from your face, and be patient.

Trying to stay entirely motionless will make you tense your muscles and you’ll inadvertently scare the birds away with your body language. Instead, think about staying as still as a tree. So, root yourself to the ground – which is much easier if you’re sitting in a chair with your arm or elbow anchored on a firm surface – and think about being still like a tree, making small, gentle movements but keeping your trunk in one spot.

4. Wear Red

Even if it’s just a hat or some nail polish, wearing red will attract hummingbirds. Thanks to the filters in their eyes, hummers can see warm colors far more easily, and have learnt that bright red typically rewards with nectar, whether that’s from flowers or a feeder.

5. Feed Early and Late

Hummingbirds feed most actively early in the morning and late in the afternoon, so targeting your feeding time to coincide will speed up the process. Consistency helps, too. Hummingbirds have great memories so if they expect to see you by the feeder every morning, they’ll get used to you far more quickly.

6. Don’t Look Directly at the Feeder

This is the biggest mistake people make when they're wondering how to hand feed hummingbirds, and the hardest step of all to achieve! All prey animals are acutely aware of being watched and will interpret a direct gaze as a potential threat and stay away. So, while you’re gaining the birds’ trust, try looking to the side of your hand, and you’ll enjoy far more success. If you can, resist the urge to look at the birds until they get more comfortable, and then try sliding your eyes sideways to look at them rather than moving your head to view them directly.

What Not to Do

• Don’t be tempted to touch or stroke the hummers. Even a tiny amount of the natural oils and sweat your fingers deposit on a bird’s feathers will destroy their capacity for insulation and waterproofing.
• Don’t move quickly. If birds are still feeding when you need to finish up, move slowly and smoothly to set the feeder down in its usual spot.
• Don’t forget to hang the main feeder back up again when you’re all finished.
• Don’t startle if a bird lands on your hand. While you’re unlikely to ever tame hummingbirds, they will quickly get used to you and start using your fingers as perches. Their tiny claws tickle rather than scratch and, as these birds only weigh a few grams, you’ll barely feel it.

Wearable Hummingbird Feeders

These feeders take handheld hummingbird feeders to a whole new level of garden fun!