Feeder placement

[Jana]

What would be the best placements for feeders? I currently have them clustered in a 10 foot area, and placed 2 others on the eastside of the house. We currently have 2 Hummingbirds. I'm also using the red base of a chicken waterer. Yes they've used it.

Jana
Montverde

[hummingbird231]

Jana, I would say as long as their using them, I'd leave them where they are. It is great to have them where you can see them like from one of your windows you look out often. That's great you have hummers. I'm curious as to where you are located.

[jana]

I'm near Clermont , Central part of Fl.

[Steve Backes]

Jana,

The quick answer to your question is, wherever they'll be used. The long versions would be that there are at least two philosophies regarding the best way to place feeders.

The first, like yours, is to place many together. In this way, as a territorial bird chases off an intruder, the intruder only has to fly a short distance to another feeder. As this scenario repeats itself over and over, the hope is that resident bird gives up the chase first allowing the intruder to feed. The thought being that the intruder will be more persistent as it is more likely desperate for a meal.

The second, the one I use in my yard, is to offer individual feeders or small groups or feeders that are out of sight of other feeders and/or perching sites. This allow for more territories in a yard. For the most part, a territory will only be as big as a bird can conveniently guard. When food is scarce and competition exists, I've discovered in my yard that a territory only needs a feeder and a good perching bush for security.

My recommendation is always to offer feeders out of sight of each other, on different sides of the house or behind a shrub or hedge. Unless you have competition for feeders, one hummingbird needs one feeder. Also important is to have enough of them placed where they can be easily viewed by you.

Steve

[Joe M]

Agree with all Steve mentioned with an added comment.
The 'intruder' will not necessarily go to an adjacent feeder, for the simple reason, he or she is being chased.
However another bird seeing that the dominate bird is otherwise occupied by the 'chase', will sneak in and start to feed.
After many repetitions of returning and finding another bird feeding and having to start the chase all over with a fresh bird, the dominate bird will eventually stop guarding 'all' the feeders and select his one or two favorites to defend! The dominate bird is very aware of the 'law of diminishing returns'. Consuming energy with only a marginal return for his or her efforts eventually sinks in!
Joe M.

[jana]

Okay, so I'm going over the top. I've seen 2 hummingbirds together. I have 6 feeders on the eastside & 2 on the southside of the house. I could try the othersides, but viewing would not be easy.
Jana

[novakdjokovic]

There are plenty of prepared feeders available in the market.Here is the list of online available feeders
8 oz. Fuchsia Hummingbird Feeders
8 oz. saucer polycarbonate Hummingbird Feeders
Red or Fuchsia Hummingbird Feeders
I think the last one is really the best and the easiest one.

[cobber04]

hi mr newbie here ha ha. i live in a fish camp and there are a lot of predatory birds here [eagles, osprey, hawks, etc.] will they go after hummers if i hang feeders?