Attracting hummingbirds requires a strategy that goes beyond simple vocalizations, focusing instead on patience and manipulating their immediate environment. To successfully “call” a hummingbird close, you must appeal to their highly specialized senses and provide reliable, accessible resources. The methods for enticing these tiny birds are rooted in understanding their visual world, communication style, and need for constant refueling.
Auditory Techniques for Enticement
Hummingbirds do not possess a complex song, but they are highly vocal, communicating through high-pitched chirps, squeaks, and chitter-chatters. These sounds signal territoriality, agitation, or communication during mating rituals. A human can gain a hummingbird’s attention by softly mimicking their characteristic short, sharp call notes.
One technique involves a gentle, high-pitched whistling or a soft clicking sound made with the tongue. This simple sound mimics the rapid, aggressive chittering a male bird uses to assert dominance over a feeding spot. The intent is not to scare the bird away but to pique its curiosity or draw it closer to investigate the perceived rival.
Avoid loud, sudden noises or using audio playback devices, which cause unnecessary stress. The goal is subtle enticement, not an exhaustive challenge that forces them to expend precious energy defending territory. The distinctive, high-frequency hum from their wings also serves as a constant auditory signal to other birds.
Visual Signaling and Attraction
Visual cues are the most immediate and effective way to attract a hummingbird, as vision is their most developed sense for locating food. Hummingbirds possess a fourth cone that allows them to see ultraviolet light. This means they perceive a world rich with colors invisible to the human eye, including non-spectral colors like ultraviolet-red.
Despite seeing a wide spectrum, hummingbirds display a distinct preference for red and red-adjacent colors like orange. This attraction is a biological response to the color of many co-evolved, nectar-rich flowers. To use this, wear a red shirt or hold a red object, such as a plastic bottle cap, near your established feeding area.
Once a bird approaches, remaining perfectly motionless is paramount for close-proximity observation. Any sudden movement can trigger an alarm response, causing them to dart away at high speed. The combination of stillness and a bright visual lure can encourage a curious bird to hover within a few feet, believing the object may be a new, reliable source of nectar.
Creating a Welcoming Habitat
For short-term enticement to result in repeated visits, a long-term, reliable habitat must be established. The foundation is providing a consistent supply of food and water. Feeders should contain a simple nectar solution of one part refined white sugar dissolved in four parts water; never use red dyes, honey, or artificial sweeteners.
Feeder placement is important, ideally near natural cover, such as trees or dense shrubs, but far enough away to deter predators. The nectar solution must be changed every two to three days, or daily in hot weather, to prevent fermentation and mold growth. Clean feeders regularly using a weak vinegar solution to maintain a sanitary food source.
Supplementing feeders with native, nectar-rich plants, especially those with red or orange tubular flowers, reinforces the attraction. Providing a source of moving water, such as a fine mist or a bubbler, encourages bathing and preening behavior. A safe, clean, and reliable environment encourages these creatures to accept the location as part of their feeding territory.