Last Updated on July 29, 2021 by Nancie
In this post, I review two hummingbird feeders: Aspects HummZinger Hummingbird Feeder Review and the Perky Pet Mason Jar Hummingbird Feeder Review. These are the two types I use in my yard. Each is a little different, but both are designed to attract those fascinating tiny hummingbirds.
What Do Hummingbirds Eat?
Hummingbirds drink nectar from flowers. Even if you don’t put up a hummingbird feeder, you may see them in your flower garden. But to encourage them to spend more time in your yard, put up a hummingbird feeder filled with a solution of cane sugar and water.
While sugar isn’t the greatest thing for human health, apparently it works just fine for hummingbirds who use it for quick energy in addition to natural nutrition sources. Check out my Make Your Own Hummingbird Nectar post. It’s easy!
Aspects HummZinger Hummingbird Feeder Review
The first hummingbird feeder I use is a Aspects HummZinger Hummingbird Feeder. It has four feeding ports. I really like it.
The sugar-water mixture used in hummingbird feeders needs to be replaced often. So choose a hummingbird feeder that is easy to use, clean and re-fill. This feeder is simple – just two plastic pieces (a clear base and a red top) attached to a long metal hook. It doesn’t leak, is easy to fill and easy to clean.
Because birds drink from the top, they are easy to see when they visit. Sometimes American Goldfinches drink from the water-filled ant moat on top for an extra treat!
This Aspects feeder holds 12 ounces of liquid, which works fine in my Maryland yard. You only want to put enough in to last a few days at most. You don’t even have to fill it completely. (Hummingbirds have long tongues.) Otherwise it’ll just go to waste when you dump any remainder and fill it again.
I recently purchased an even smaller 8 ounce version of this Aspects Hummzinger hummingbird feeder. It is a good choice when you don’t get a lot of hummingbirds or when you instead want several smaller feeders placed out of view of each other. This can reduce hummingbird conflicts over feeders. I put this small one on a low branch in my front yard near a bedroom window.
(Note: If you want an even SMALLER hummingbird feeder, check out my review of Mosaic’s small glass hummingbird feeder.)
Filling the Feeder
First, clean the feeder. Then to fill it, remove the red plastic top and pour in the sugar solution. Put the top back on.
There is also an ant moat in the middle. Fill it with plain water to keep ants from sneaking into the feeder by climbing down the hook.
This feeder has worked beautifully for me for several years. The first year I used it, I put it right next to my dining room window. After about a week, a hummingbird found it and made regular visits a few times a day the rest of the season. I’ve had a couple hummingbirds on it regularly every year since.
Perky Pet Mason Jar Hummingbird Feeder Review
My second feeder is a Perky-Pet Mason Jar Hummingbird feeder. This is a much prettier feeder, made of red glass and metal. The red glass jar looks beautiful and attracts the eye of hummingbirds passing by it. I hang this one next to my back door where the hummingbirds can find it but where it is out of the direct sun.
This hummingbird feeder has five feeding ports. In my yard, I typically only see one hummingbird at a time. (Male hummingbirds tend to be territorial. If another hummingbird shows up, he chases it away from the feeder. This is why I’ve been experimenting with spreading the feeders out.)
Hummingbirds do seem to like this feeder. One downside is that if you are outside nearby, hummingbirds will often go to the side opposite you so the red jar can block your view of the bird. When I am sitting near the feeder, I tend to see the hummer’s feet from below rather than the whole bird. Keep this in mind when choosing where to put the feeder.
Filling the Feeder
This feeder will hold a lot of sugar solution – 32 ounces. I don’t fill it completely, as I don’t get enough hummingbirds to drink that much. I typically put about a cup of sugar-water nectar in it each time. This feeder is flexible though. If you have a lot of hummers, you obviously could put much more in it.
To fill it, first wash the jar, collar and base. Then fill the jar with the sugar solution. Put on the metal collar and then the base while it is still upside down. Twist it closed, making sure to tighten the metal pieces onto the jar well. (If it is loose, the feeder can drip.) Flip it over to hang.
Hang the feeder in the shade to help prevent it from heating up as much and dripping. Nectar also lasts longer in the shade.
This feeder doesn’t have an ant moat like the Aspects hummingbird feeder. You don’t see it in these pictures, but I bought an extra little Songbird Essentials Clear Nectar Protector to keep ants from climbing down onto this feeder. It is a clear cup with hooks on top and bottom. You fill it with water and hang it between the hanging hook and the top of the feeder.
Refilling & Cleaning Hummingbird Feeders
If you put out a hummingbird feeder, you have to be responsible for it and watch to make sure the sugar solution doesn’t get cloudy. You’ll need to refill it every few days or even every day when it is really hot. Otherwise it can ferment or get mold or bacteria growing in it.
The frequency of changing the sugar solution depends on the weather. In the spring, when temperatures are lower, you can probably do it every four to five days. Take it inside if a late freeze is expected.
When the temperatures start getting into the seventies, aim for changing it about every three days or so. Hotter than that and you’ll need to do it every other day or even every day.
Just keep an eye on the sugar solution’s condition. Hanging it in direct sunlight can make it go bad quicker, as can a dirty feeder.
Cleaning A Hummingbird Feeder
Every time you re-fill the feeder, you must clean it first. To clean a hummingbird feeder, take it down and dump any remaining syrup down the drain. Wash it with warm water, taking special care to clean the ports.
If you see black mold forming there, clean it out with a weak mixture of white vinegar and water and a small bottle brush. (Look for tiny brushes to clean the ports near the hummingbird feeders in the store.) Then rinse the vinegar off and re-fill.
Nancie
More on Feeding Hummingbirds
More Bird Feeder Reviews
Mosaic’s Small Glass Hummingbird Feeder
Birdseed & Binoculars Bird Feeder Reviews (Click on this link to see the blog stream filtered to show only my bird feeder reviews.)
More on Putting Up A New Feeder
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Great article, Nancie. I’m getting my feeders ready, but it’s still too cold here in southeastern CT. I use the First Nature brand (double-stack and the 32 oz). They’re so easy to clean.
Question: What/where is your Amazon link and can I purchase things other than bird related?
Thanks
MA in CT
Hi Mary Ann, Here in MD the weather is doing weird things. 80 degrees one day and a freeze warning the next. Up and down. There was a freeze warning last night so I took them in for the night but put them back out this morning. But apparently people have starting seeing hummingbirds in MD this past week, so I figure I’ll put them out and maybe it will help out one of the early ones.
Will definitely check out the First Nature feeders you mention. They sound interesting. Easy to clean is a huge thing since you have to clean this type of feeder so often.
UPDATE: Just looked at the First Nature feeders. Wow! That double-stack has a ton of ports. You must get a LOT of hummers! I am definitely jealous! LOL
Any links that you see in my blog posts that mention Amazon specifically are Amazon Affiliate special links. I receive a referral fee for any purchases made through the links, not just bird related. (You should be able to Google “Amazon Affiliate Program” if you want more specific info on how the program works.)
Thanks!
Nancie
thanks again
Yes, the First Nature feeders are so easy to clean. That double port comes apart so you can have two separate feeders. First Nature and Brome are my favorites..in the long run, they’re worth the extra money.
I agree completely. I think that old saying about “you get what you pay for” is often very true. The Brome Squirrel Buster Plus feeders are expensive but I’ve bought two of them and have not for a minute regretted the money spent. They’ve kept A LOT of birdseed out of squirrel bellies so that birds can eat it instead. And feeders that are well made and will last for years are always better than something that is poorly designed and won’t hold up over time. I’ve learned the hard way to research feeders before I buy them.