Finally, after weeks of only occasionally seeing hummingbirds at my backyard hummingbird feeder, during the past few days five or more are now vying for the opportunity to drink sugar water from the feeder. When this happens, what do you do? Some say you should scatter a number of small feeders each equipped for a small number of feeding portals across your yard. Others opt for replacing a single small feeder with one that has eight to more than a dozen spots to feed. Which is best?
As a rule, since hummingbirds are so territorial, it seems to make sense that a number of small feeders equipped with places to feed placed at different locations positioned at different locations would cut down territorial disputes among the birds and allow more hummers to feed without expending a lot of time and energy trying to compete for food at a single feeder. Consequently, employing this strategy might attract more hummers to your yard than a single huge feeder.
Since every yard is different, the best way to find what works best for you is to experiment. Try feeding the birds with a large feeder for a few days and then replace it with multiple feeders.
I would be interested in learning what works best for you.
