Hummingbirds have voracious appetites due to their high metabolism, and rely on consuming calories from nectar and small insects to survive.
Their tiny bodies demand huge amounts of energy to power their beating wings which flap up to 80 times per second.
To fuel their high energy needs, hummingbirds go into a feeding frenzy multiple times per day, consuming more than their weight in nectar.
These birds have the highest metabolism per unit of weight of any warm-blooded animal.
Their extreme energy requirements drive their constant need for sugary nectar to provide the substantial calories they require.
Without access to adequate food sources, hummingbirds would quickly perish.
Their evolutionary relationship with nectar-producing flowers has allowed them to thrive by offering the burst of energy in packaged form these remarkable birds rely on.
When it comes to their favorite food, the clear winner for hummingbirds is sugary nectar from flowers.
Hummingbirds have specially adapted long, slender beaks and tongues that allow them to reach deep inside flowers to lap up the sweet nectar.
While they will visit backyard feeders for a quick meal, hummingbirds prefer the natural nectar straight from blooms.
Why Hummingbirds Love Nectar
Certain flowers have developed specialized traits exclusively to attract pollination by hummingbirds.
Bright red tubular blooms, copious nectar production, and fragrances are all designed to appeal to hummingbirds.
The chemical composition of nectar produced in hummingbird-pollinated flowers has even evolved to perfectly match the nutritional needs of these tiny birds.
The optimal balance of sugars, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in natural nectar provides quick energy along with essential nutrients hummingbirds can’t get from sugar alone.
When drinking nectar straight from the customized flowers they’ve co-evolved with for millennia, hummingbirds gain the ideal mixture of calories and nutrition to power their metabolically demanding lifestyles.
Research has shown hummingbirds have innate preferences for the taste and composition of nectar from flowers adapted to suit their requirements.
These plants provide the most efficient and appealing meals for hummingbirds.
There are a few key reasons why sugary nectar tops the list as a hummingbird’s favorite food source:
- Nectar provides quick energy – The sucrose sugar in nectar offers an efficient way for hummingbirds to get the calories they require. Their rapid metabolism causes them to burn energy quickly.
- Easy to digest – Nectar is primarily made up of simple sugars that are easy for hummingbirds to rapidly digest and convert to energy.
- Preferred taste – Hummingbirds are drawn to the sweet taste of nectar, much more so than plain sugar water.
- Natural source – Flowers provide nectar perfectly tailored to a hummingbird’s needs, as opposed to artificial nectar mixes.
Hummingbirds have evolved along with the flowers they feed from, making flower nectar an ideal food source that offers quick energy in a tasteful package.
Favorite Flower Sources of Nectar
Hummingbirds will visit a wide variety of flowering plants, but they do have favorites when it comes to seeking out nectar meals. Some top nectar-producing flowers that attract hummingbirds include:
- Trumpet Vine – Produces abundant nectar from its bright orange trumpet-shaped flowers.
- Bee Balm – Its red tubular flowers are a hummingbird magnet.
- Fuchsia – A hummingbird favorite with its pendulous pink and purple blooms.
- Cardinal Flower – Loved for its spiked red blooms full of nectar.
- Salvia – Includes colorful sages and scarlet sage, rich in nectar.
- Columbine – Pretty flowers with nectar-filled spurs irresistible to hummingbirds.
- Coral Honeysuckle – Hummingbird-adapted with its red tubular flowers.
- Petunia – A garden favorite, with trumpet-shaped flowers boasting copious nectar.
In addition to the flowers noted, here are some other excellent nectar sources hummingbirds flock to: lantana puts out bursts of red, yellow, pink, or orange blooms that attract hummingbirds all season; bright red canna lily flowers produce high-quality nectar; honeysuckle vines are covered in tubular red blooms with appealing nectar; penstemon sends up spikes of scarlet flowers; and native passionflowers like maypop provide exotic flowers loaded with nectar.
Local native plants tend to be the best nectar sources, since they have co-evolved right alongside hummingbirds over thousands of years.
Native flowers and hummingbirds often form mutualistic relationships, relying on one another for survival.
Growing native species already adapted to local hummingbirds is a great way to make your garden or landscape enticing.
These are just a sample of the many flowering plants beloved by hummingbirds for their sweet nectar.
When designing a hummingbird garden, include a variety of nectar-rich plants that bloom sequentially to provide flowers through the season.
Other Components of a Hummingbird’s Diet
While hummingbirds get most of their calories from nectar, they also need key nutrients nectar doesn’t provide enough of.
Protein is particularly important to build muscles to power their wings, along with healthy fats and essential minerals like calcium and magnesium.
They get these nutrients by catching tiny insects and spiders in midair or snatching them from leaves and bark.
Pollen grains collected as they feed are another great source of protein and amino acids.
Hummingbirds have even been observed consuming tree sap for an extra dose of sugar along with nutrients not found in nectar.
More curiously, they occasionally gather silk from spider webs, which provides an excellent source of pure protein to supplement their diet.
These foods allow hummingbirds to round out their nutritional intake beyond just the sugary calories from nectar.
Although sugary nectar makes up the bulk of a hummingbird’s diet, they also need other food sources to thrive:
- Insects – Hummingbirds get essential protein, vitamins, minerals, and fats by eating small spiders and insects. They capture bugs on the fly or pick them off leaves and flowers.
- Sap – Certain tree species secrete sap that hummingbirds tap for an extra dose of quick sugar and nutrients.
- Pollen – Hummingbirds will collect pollen grains from flowers as they feed on nectar. The pollen provides protein.
- Spider webs – Strange as it sounds, hummingbirds will gather spider silk threads and eat them for the protein boost.
While nectar comprises anywhere from 60-80% of their food intake, hummingbirds still depend on these supplemental foods to meet all their nutritional requirements and maintain their lightning-fast metabolism.
Why Feeders Are Not Their Preferred Food Source
Replacing native nectar sources with feeders does have some downsides for hummingbirds.
The homemade sugar water lacks many of the nutritional benefits and appealing taste of live nectar straight from flowers.
Feeders also tend to lack the diversity of enzymes, minerals, and natural microbiomes that occur in flowers and enhance digestion.
And without adequate cleaning, feeders can also spread dangerous molds, fungi, and bacteria between birds.
While feeders offer an artificial nectar source, flowering plants have perfected their nectar over millennia specifically to meet hummingbirds’ needs.
When relying solely on feeders, hummingbirds miss out on the balanced and optimized nutrition provided by the plants they evolved alongside.
It’s common to see hummingbird feeders filled with artificial nectar in gardens, assuming this must be an easiest food source for the birds.
Feeders also come with some downsides:
Risk of spoilage – The sugar water can ferment or grow mold in hot weather.
Lower nutrition – Feeder mix lacks the nutrients and amino acids of real nectar.
Unnatural taste – Refined white sugar has a less appealing taste than flower nectar.
Requires maintenance – Cleaning and refilling feeders regularly is essential.
Risk of contamination – Dirty feeders spread disease between birds.
Less opportunity to forage – Feeders reduce natural foraging behaviors.
With higher risks and lower rewards compared to natural nectar straight from flowers, it’s understandable that feeders come second to flowers in a hummingbird’s preference.
Tips for Attracting Hummingbirds to a Garden
While hummingbird feeders will still attract these tiny pollinators, you can create an even better space for them by focusing on planting nectar-rich flowers.
Here are tips to make your yard irresistible:
- Choose a variety of tubular and trumpet-shaped flowers in colors like red, orange, pink, or purple.
- Include different bloom times for season-long nectar.
- Plant flowers in clusters for easier foraging.
- Avoid pesticides that reduce insect populations hummingbirds rely on.
- Provide shrubs and small trees as protected perching spots.
- Situate feeders near flowers so hummingbirds can supplement as needed.
- Include a water feature like a mister, fountain, or small pond.
- Limit competing bees by avoiding plants like daisies and asters.
With plentiful native plants providing a natural feast, hummingbirds will make frequent visits to indulge in their favorite food – sweet floral nectar.
The Importance of Nectar for Hummingbirds
These tiny birds have an innate obsession with sugary nectar for very good reason – their survival depends on it.
Nectar provides the high-energy fuel to keep their wings constantly in motion and their metabolisms running in overdrive.
Without adequate nectar intake, hummingbirds would quickly starve and perish.
Luckily for them, hummingbirds are perfectly adapted to extract nectar from a wide variety of blossoms they share a mutualistic relationship with.
Their slender bills and extendable tongues give them exclusive access to calorie-rich nectar other birds and insects can’t reach.
It’s this specialization and synergy with nectar-producing flowers that has allowed hummingbirds to proliferate and thrive across the Americas.
So when it comes to answering “what’s a hummingbird’s favorite food?”, there’s no debate.
For these tiny torpedoes of the bird world, nothing beats the sweet, nutritious nectar they’ve evolved to sip from beautiful blooms.
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