Updated at: 29-07-2022 - By: Jane Brody

Hummingbird feeder placement is tricky, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that the feeder should be easily moved if necessary.

Hummingbird feeders are designed with either a short half hook or a complete loop for hanging. If at all, this would be suspended over a bracket at a feeding station or on a shepherd’s hook. In order to extend the available hanging time, rope would be needed, but the setup would need to be reinforced to prevent it from swinging.

Buying a high-quality hummingbird feeder is pointless if you can’t hang it where you want it because of the manufacturer’s default.

The entire hook sitting above the feeder serves as the hang point, while a metal bar shaped like half a hoop is more likely to come loose from the bracket in gusty conditions.

Two knots at opposite ends of the feeder’s suspension cord would be necessary to keep it from swaying in the wind and from swinging dangerously.

Hummingbird feeders are designed to be hung from a specific hoop or hook, but a bit of extra length wouldn’t hurt when trying to attract locals.

Unstable hummingbird feeders are prone to leaking, creating a mess just below. Because of this, you may experience increased activity from bees and other insects.

To avoid this, it is best to ensure that the hummingbird feeder is securely fastened wherever it is hung.

Best to use installed hoop

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Hanging a hummingbird properly entails using only the loop it comes with.

Unlike other common backyard birds, hummingbirds prefer to land on a perch or hover while feeding, so hummingbird feeders must be positioned in a particular precise way to accommodate this behavior.

This is why it’s crucial to keep some space open around the hummingbird feeder at all times.

A small rounded hoop attached to the top of the feeder is the best way to hang any type of hummingbird feeder.

This hoop would be constructed from the same material as the feeder, making it the most secure location from which to hang the feeder; it may seem apparent, but modifying a hanging point can compromise its stability, yet is necessary for some.

There’s no need to add another hanger or rope to increase the length of this feeder (but doing so is possible).

Less hang, less movement

Hummingbird feeders of the tower or saucer variety should be hung from a secure bracket using the hoop included with the feeder.

The full hoop is slightly more secure, however it is meant to be hooked over the bracket on a feeding station or shepherd’s hook, making the half hook version more susceptible to detachment in wind.

In order to hang a hummingbird feeder from its small loop or hook, you may need to improvise with a longer piece of hanging hardware, such as a hanger or a rope or chain that is up to a foot in length.

That space around the feeder could be cleared out, or the feeder could be moved closer to you.

When this happens, though, a hummingbird feeder might become unbalanced and fall to the ground, perhaps spilling its contents.

Unfortunately, doing so attracts bees, meaning that the hummingbirds will have to share the feeder with those pesky insects.

Stabilize swinging feeder

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A saucer-style hummingbird feeder is the best option if you need to increase the length of the feeder’s hanging bar.

But ordinarily this length would balance out when compared to a tower hummingbird feeder.

If you think the hummingbirds will have trouble reaching the food if the feeder is too short, extend it.

Use a sturdy knot in a length of rope or a fabric with a toggle or lock to fasten the hanging object in place. In terms of the hummingbird feeder, this length might provide some additional dangling space, but it could make the structure less sturdy overall.

Worse, the feeder may start to sway erratically unless you tie two distinct connections.

Also, as it will blow in any wind, it’s best to tie two separate knots. Apart from those, the length of rope must be attached in or near a horizontal line to a place in the yard, using a tie point on, for example, the perch or anywhere a knot may be tied.

The more secure the feeder is anchored, the longer it can hang.

Re-adjust feeder on pole only

In my opinion, a bird feeding station or, failing that, a shepherd’s hook, is the best way to hang hummingbird feeders.

If the location you choose for your hummingbird feeder or feeders isn’t conducive to attracting a large number of birds, you may simply remove the spike from the ground and move the feeder to a new pole elsewhere in the yard.

This can be a lengthy procedure, thus a hummingbird feeder should never be placed randomly.

Hummingbird feeders can be placed in direct sunlight or partial shade for the majority of the day, or they can be moved among plants that attract beneficial insects, which, in turn, should attract hummingbirds.

A wall-mounted bracket or shepherd’s hook are two possibilities for a hanging location, as is the space under the porch.

Keep a watch on your hummingbirds’ activity as time passes in the hopes that a better location will be discovered without having to uproot the feeders too soon.

To summarize

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Hummingbird feeders should be hung in your yard using the included hoop or hook and secured in place to prevent the feeder from falling.

Hummingbird feeders typically hang from a half-hoop on a long metal bar, or else a small full ring made of plastic or metal to match the material of the feeder’s body.

In order to reach this spot, one must either hope over the bracket of a bird feeder or shepherd’s hook, or consider extending one’s reach if the desired location is too high above the ground.

Similarly, if a hummingbird feeder is hung at an inappropriate height, it may not provide enough clearance for hovering hummers, necessitating re-hanging.

What can be used to extend it are feeder hangers designed for the task, or one may just use a length of rope to suspend the feeder from a new, less usual location in the yard.

A hummingbird feeder full of sugar water should hang relatively still once filled, but adding more length can cause the feeder to wobble.

In this case, it’s important to use the provided hanging points to keep the perch from rocking and swinging, or to use a length of rope to attach it to a fixed point on the ceiling.

If at first you don’t succeed, try to relocate the hummingbird feeder in the most effective way you know how, but be prepared to try something else if that doesn’t work.

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