Feeding Hummingbirds in Cold Weather

We are often asked to field questions about hummers that spend the winter in colder climes and what we humans can do to help ease some of their struggles.

Some steps you can take to keep the nectar from freezing:

Bring feeders indoors to warm/ defrost and rotate out with other feeders.
Use a dome to protect from snow, sleet and ice.
Position the feeder to protect from cold winds and exposure.
Attach hand warmers to the feeder.
Heat tape such as used for preventing pipes from freezing.
Place a clamp-on/ clip-on shop/ work light adjacent to the feeder---about 12-24" away would be as plumbers do when defrosting frozen pipes. Test the distance before you walk away. Try a 125 Watt infra-red light bulb, but not the red-glass type. Get an I.R. bulb with clear envelope, it casts a more natural light. Connect it all to a timer.
Place holiday lights around, above or below the feeder.
Insulate with any fabric.
Some say to alter the water: nectar ratio but we disagree and feel any of the above methods should suffice and still satisfy their nutritional needs

Whatever you do make sure the hummer has unobstructed access to their feeding ports. Use common sense and your best judgment. Your hummers will appreciate your effort(s).

Remember: Safety first! Any lights, heating tape or electrical devices present fire and electrocution dangers. Only use electrical products and cords that are rated for exterior use. Do not use electric heating pads outdoors! Don’t enclose lights or place a feeder too close to a heat lamp-it could ignite a fire. Heat lamps or lights may melt poor quality plastic of discount-store feeders.

Some links for additional info:

Seattle Audubon offers some interesting insight into tending to hummers that are braving the cold. More
Skip Russell has a good photo of christmas lights under a hummingbird feeder. More
Sheri Williamson offers some thoughts to ponder about "Perch Hypothermia": Is It A Threat? More
King 5 in Seattle has a great article with even better pictures. More Pictures and Article

Hummingbird Market does not sell any of these feeder heaters nor do we endorse or recommend. This information is purely informational.

Hummer Hearth

Developed in Washington state with the assistance of the Wild Birds Unlimited stores in that area, this heater is made with a 3D printer and has a 7 watt bulb that will keep the nectar solution from freezing in most winter weather. For colder climates (below -10C), it is recommended to use a 12 watt bulb. NOTE: This heater should only be used on saucer type hummingbird feeders. It may not work with all feeders.

The Hummer Hearth provides an effective, simple solution to frozen hummingbird feeders. Simply attach Hummer Hearth to your hummingbird feeder then turn on before the temperature dips below freezing.

Effective. The Hummer Hearth, with its simple yet effective design, will keep a smaller hummingbird feeder thawed to about 15 degrees F with a single 7 watt light bulb (included).
Easy. The Hummer Hearth it’s easy to attach to a wide range of hummingbird feeders with a ring-style perch. It is held in place with adjustable hooks.
Simple. A 7 watt or (optional) 15 watt incandescent light bulb applies heat to the bottom of the feeder which gently heats the nectar to a safe temperature and prevents freezing.
Versatile. A 15 watt bulb (not included) will typically keep a smaller feeder thawed to about 5 degrees F. (This is a guideline; feeder type and conditions affect the freezing point.)
Inexpensive to Operate. Hummer Hearth uses just pennies of electricity a day.

Feeders come in a dizzying array of styles; some are great candidates for the Hummer Hearth; some are not. You may want to consider using a feeder better suited to the Hummer Hearth during the freezing season.

Website

Hummers Heated Delight

Photo Courtesy of Bernadette Price - Columbia River Gorge

The Hummers Heated Delight is a heated hummingbird feeder that will feed your hummingbirds warm food all winter long. They love it!

The Hummers Heated Delight is a revolutionary new product based on years of research and testing which was designed by the inventor of Bo's Anchor Release line of products.

As many bird lovers know, hummingbirds may overwinter and in doing so their food supplies may be limited or even non-existent during cold snaps.

The Hummers Heated Delight prevents the hummingbird's food from freezing which allows them to feed during cold weather. Our heated feeders have been tested at temperatures as low as 1 ° Degree Fahrenheit and the food was still liquid - unfrozen.

Our heated hummingbird feeders are handmade with care in the beautiful Willamette Valley region of Oregon where we have hummingbirds year-round. These are designed for under the eaves or on a patio. Not for direct weather.

Website

An article written by Steve Lathrop in the Albany Democrat-Herald about Hummers Heated Delight heated hummingbird feeders.

Hummers Heinie Warmer

Here at the Hummingbird Heinie Warmer Company, we enjoy helping out our friends in nature. One day, a few winters back, we noticed that hummingbirds, in particular, didn’t have a good way to get food during the winter months. All the flowers were dormant, sugar nectar feeders were chunks of ice, and the few hummingbirds in the area just looked downright cold. So, we set out to change that and the Hummingbird Heinie Warmer was born.

Using readily available waterproof outdoor decorative holiday lights, we have created something that keeps hummingbird feeders warm enough to feed from throughout the winter months and gives our hummingbirds a place to get warm while they drink. As anyone who has enjoyed a hot meal after playing in the snow knows, restorative heat gives you the strength to go on. This is even truer for the tiny hummingbird. Any warmth and energy we can give them increases their chances of survival in the winter months.

The Hummingbird Heinie Warmer is a multi - purpose device that prevents your hummingbird feeder from freezing during the winter, attracts and provides your hummingbirds with a place to warm themselves from the winter chill.

Simply hang your hummingbirds’ favorite feeder in the Hummingbird Heinie Warmer and plug it in.

The color and warmth from the lights will attract hummingbirds from your surrounding areas.

All you need to do is replace the light bulbs if they burn out and keep your feeder filled.

Then sit back and watch the unbelievable results.

Website

Heating a hummingbird feeder with a heating pad

Heating a hummingbird feeder with a reptile terrarium heating device

How to prevent a hummingbird feeder from freezing

Winter feeder warmer!

By Wayne Schmidt

Over the years I've noticed that while most of the hummingbirds in my location fly the 50-miles south to the warmer climate of Los Angeles around November, there are always a few diehards that overwinter in spite of the nightly freezes. I assume they find warm places to spend the night under the eaves of houses where escaping heat warms the air. Even if I take my feeders down I can hear and see these hardy souls flying around during the day. Consequently, I've decided to leave my feeders up to help make their lives a little easier.

One problem with this is that night time temperatures often drop low enough to freeze the sugar water in a feeder. When the birds wake up in the morning and are in their greatest need for nectar they can't feed until the solution thaws. To prevent it from freezing I developed a simple and inexpensive warmer that keeps the nectar warm.

I mounted a deep aluminum pan on the feeder's support platform and secured a block of wood to the center to hold the feeder. Then I placed a 4-watt night light inside it and plugged the light into a automatic timer. The foil pan helps hold in the heat and light from the bulb and concentrate it on the feeder.

The feeder sits in the foil pan. The timer is set to turn on at dusk and the 4-watt light provides enough heat to keep the nectar from freezing. Because the feeder is located under a rainproof cover I don't have to worry about the wires shorting out.

It works better than I had hoped. Not only does it prevent the nectar from freezing, it warms it to a comfortable 65-degrees so that it's a good temperature to help warm up hummers in the freezing mornings. One additional benefit is that the light shining up through the feeder's red top makes an attractive glowing accent on the porch.

UPDATE: I learned that I could simplify the warmer by just mounting a 4 watt incandescent night light under the feeder and it worked just fine. I covered the inside of the plastic diffuser with aluminum foil tape to reflect more light upwards, but I doubt that's really necessary.

Copyright Wayne Schmidt. Used by permission More

John Pollack of NE Seattle used a night light with a night-sensor, replacing the bulb with a red one, all for less than $2. This feeder attracted birds before dawn.

Here's a system that has worked for me for the past 5 years. Costs next to nothing to run 5-10W 24/7 through the winter and both my feeders still have the original bulbs in them. $40-50 plus the feeder!

CAUTION!! THIS SETUP NEEDS TO BE UNDERCOVER!!