13 Reasons Hummingbirds Aren’t Visiting Your Yard—and How to Fix Them
It could be unreliable feeders, unreachable nectar, or the lack of a water feature, to name a few.
While there are certain factors that are completely out of your control when it comes to attracting hummingbirds to your yard—like migration patterns, weather, and predators—pro says there are also plenty of common mistakes that could be deterring these dainty creatures from visiting your garden.
Before attempting to solve the issue on your own, make sure to familiarize yourself with their migration patterns through this interactive map that tracks these tiny birds in real time. If hummingbirds haven’t yet reached your area, all you can really do is prepare for their arrival.
But if you’ve seen these adorable creatures all around your neighborhood, just not in your own backyard, it could be due to unreliable feeders, unreachable nectar, or the lack of a water feature, among other issues, according to experts. Read on for all the reasons hummingbirds aren’t visiting your yard—plus how to fix these common mistakes.
There is a great habitat nearby.
If you’ve seen hummingbirds around your yard but not in your yard, there might be a larger, more reliable food source or habitat nearby. “If you live near a park, garden, or neighbor who has abundant habitat for hummingbirds, they may be in these areas near you but not in your yard,” says Erika Zambello, communications director at Audubon Florida.
You’re missing them.
While you might think hummingbirds are skipping right over your yard, it could be that you’re missing them due to a variety of uncontrollable factors. “Hummingbirds adjust their feeding activity to daily temperatures, breeding demands, and seasonal changes,” says Donald K. Price, professor at the School of Life Sciences at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “They may visit a yard only briefly during cooler morning or evening hours, making it seem as though they are absent. Females also become less conspicuous while nesting and caring for chicks, while territorial males may exclude other birds. Activity often increases again after the young fledge. A motion-activated camera can reveal visits that homeowners otherwise miss.”
Your feeder arrangement isn’t optimized.
Hummingbirds may look dainty, but they can actually be very territorial. “If you have only one large hummingbird feeder, a lone hummingbird could be keeping all the others away,” says Zambello. “Trying using smaller feeders spaced around your yard so more birds can feed.”
There's not enough food.
Hummingbirds may eat up to three times their body weight in one day, according to Birds & Blooms. As a result, they need to eat pretty consistently. "Probably the number one reason hummingbirds are not visiting is they don't see your garden as offering enough food sources,” says Alice Madar, executive director at International Hummingbird Society. “If you are trying to attract hummingbirds without feeders, you need to have a good number of plants, and they should be blooming throughout the spring, summer and early fall.”
You need more tubular flowers.
Hummingbirds have long, narrow beaks that allow them to reach deep inside tubular flowers for nectar. "Plant plenty of annuals, perennials and shrubs with tubular flowers, making access to the nectar source very easy," says Shauna Moore, director of horticulture at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
Your garden is lacking in native plants.
Native plants are especially important for pollinators like hummingbirds as they offer a rich source of nutrients. "Ideally you are planting red-blooming, native species of penstemon, agastache, and salvia,” says Madar. “Hummingbirds also love trumpet vine and honeysuckle.”
RELATED: Plants That Will Attract Hummingbirds to Your Home Garden
The feeder isn't clean.
If you're going to incorporate feeders into your garden, it's essential to care for them properly. "Feeders are a bit more of a pain to maintain,” says Anusha Shankar, integrative biologist and physiological ecologist. “You can use one part table sugar in four parts water. You have to check them regularly—any black growths indicate fungus. Make sure to either boil the feeders in water or use a diluted vinegar to rinse and scrub them. Then rinse 3-4 times with water to wash the vinegar out. Hummingbirds can fall very sick and even die if they consume these fungi. So it's better to avoid putting a feeder out if you cannot maintain the feeders well.”
The timing is wrong.
You might be waiting for hummingbirds to visit your garden at the wrong time. Research their migration patterns to make sure you're prepared when the time is right. "It's always best to check the migratory pattern to know when they are coming,”says Moore. “The change in climate and bloom time for some plants in the garden can have a gradual impact on their migratory patterns.”
RELATED: Find Out When Hummingbirds Will Reach Your Yard With This Interactive Map
You're working with the wrong colors.
Luckily, hummingbirds love colorful gardens, particularly those with bright, hot shades. "Hummingbirds love red, orange, and purple flowers. Increasing the number of flowering plants with these colors, with tubular corollas, will help attract more hummingbirds," says Shankar.
Chemicals are deterring them.
Hummingbirds feed on insects as a source of protein, so be sure to avoid all sorts of pesticides and herbicides in your garden. "Insects and plants that have been treated with chemicals can pose an inherent risk to hummingbirds if ingested," says Moore.
You're missing a water feature.
Give hummingbirds a place to bathe and hydrate in your garden. "It's important to have a shallow, slow-moving water feature in your yard—something like a bubbler or gentle waterfall,” says Madar. “Hummingbirds also love water misters.”
There's not enough protection.
Due to their small size, hummingbirds appreciate a safe atmosphere. "Hummingbirds don't really like coming to an isolated food source in the middle of open ground,” says Shankar. “They'll more easily visit areas which feel more protected—near some trees or a wall or some sort of continuous habitat.”
Cats are scaring them off.
Unfortunately, hummingbirds don’t get along with our furry friends. If you have cats in your yard, there's a chance they're scaring away hummingbirds (and other birds, too). "It is important to keep cats out of your garden,” says Madar. “Estimates are that domesticated cats kill one billion birds in the U.S. every year.”
Laura Millar (she/her) is a freelance lifestyle journalist for Good Housekeeping. She holds a degree in Film, TV & Media from the University of Michigan, and was previously the assistant lifestyle editor for GH, where she covered home design. Her byline has appeared in NBC's TODAY.com, PEOPLE, Real Simple, and Business Insider.
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