Hummingbirds
Hummingbird Nectar Recipe: 4:1, No Boil, No Red Dye
The hummingbird nectar recipe: 1 part plain white sugar to 4 parts water. No boiling for small batches. No red dye. Cornell Lab and Audubon-backed method.
Apr 15, 2026
Featured
Pieces we'd point a friend to first
Hummingbirds
Best Hummingbird Feeder: 8 Picks by Use Case (Honest Tiers)
The best hummingbird feeders by use case: ant-proof, bee-proof, high-capacity, window-mount, budget, splurge. Tiered honestly with welfare guidance.
Apr 12, 2026
Backyard Species Guides
What Do Blue Jays Eat? Diet, Acorns, and Feeder Foods
What do blue jays eat? About 75% nuts, acorns, seeds, and fruit, plus insects. The full blue jay diet, the acorn-caching secret, and the best feeder foods.
Jun 6, 2026
Get the latest
Recently published
-
HummingbirdsHow to Clean a Hummingbird Feeder (and How Often)
How to clean a hummingbird feeder: hot water plus vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, no soap, every few days. The Audubon-backed method, frequency, and mold fix.
Jun 7, 2026
-
Backyard Species GuidesWhat Do Blue Jays Eat? Diet, Acorns, and Feeder Foods
What do blue jays eat? About 75% nuts, acorns, seeds, and fruit, plus insects. The full blue jay diet, the acorn-caching secret, and the best feeder foods.
Jun 6, 2026
-
Feeders & SeedWhere to Hang an Oriole Feeder: Height and Placement
Where to hang an oriole feeder: 6 to 10 feet up, near tall trees, visible from above. The exact height, location, and placement that gets orioles to find it.
Jun 5, 2026
-
Backyard Species GuidesWhat Do Cardinals Eat? A Seasonal Diet Guide
What do cardinals eat? Mainly seeds and fruit, plus insects, and the foods that keep them red. Here is the full cardinal diet and what to feed them.
Jun 4, 2026
-
Attracting BirdsCan Birds Eat Bread? What's Safe and What to Avoid
Can birds eat bread? It is not toxic, but it is empty calories that can harm birds and starve chicks. Here is the honest answer and what to feed instead.
Jun 3, 2026
-
HummingbirdsWhat Do Hummingbirds Eat? A Complete Backyard Guide
Hummingbirds eat far more than nectar: insects and spiders make up most of their diet. Here is the full picture, backed by science, and how to feed them well.
Jun 2, 2026
Free, no spam
Get the 12-Month Backyard Feeding Calendar
One page, by the month: which seeds, which feeders, and which species to expect, from spring migration through winter feeding. Plus the weekly Perch & Feed newsletter.
Browse by topic
Where to dig in
Hummingbirds The gateway cluster for backyard birding. Feeders, nectar (4:1, no boil, no red dye), placement, ant moats, bee baffles, when to put out by region, and species-by-species guides for the hummingbirds you'll actually see. Feeders & Seed Feeders by species (cardinals, finches, orioles, woodpeckers) and by problem (squirrels, big birds, weather). What seed actually works for which bird, plus placement and cleaning advice that doesn't show up in product descriptions. Attracting Birds Yard setup, water sources, native plants, shelter, and the four-element framework (food, water, shelter, nesting) that turns a quiet yard into one with birds in it. Optics & Gear Binoculars, spotting scopes, bird cameras, and the gear questions that matter (eye relief, magnification, FOV) without the gear-snob register. Honest tier reviews: under $200, $200-500, splurge. Backyard Species Guides Species-by-species backyard guides for the birds you'll actually see at your feeder: cardinals, blue jays, chickadees, goldfinches, bluebirds, orioles, woodpeckers, hummingbirds. What attracts them, when they show up, what feeder, what seed. Seasonal, Water & Plants Bird baths, winter feeding, fall migration prep, native plants by region. The seasonal calendar that flattens the bimodal traffic curve and keeps birds in your yard year-round.
Start here
One essential guide from each topic
Hummingbirds
How to Clean a Hummingbird Feeder (and How Often)
How to clean a hummingbird feeder: hot water plus vinegar or hydrogen peroxide, no soap, every few days. The Audubon-backed method, frequency, and mold fix.
Jun 7, 2026
Backyard Species Guides
What Do Blue Jays Eat? Diet, Acorns, and Feeder Foods
What do blue jays eat? About 75% nuts, acorns, seeds, and fruit, plus insects. The full blue jay diet, the acorn-caching secret, and the best feeder foods.
Jun 6, 2026
Feeders & Seed
Where to Hang an Oriole Feeder: Height and Placement
Where to hang an oriole feeder: 6 to 10 feet up, near tall trees, visible from above. The exact height, location, and placement that gets orioles to find it.
Jun 5, 2026