One reason hummingbirds are so easy to find at feeders is they must eat about every 10 minutes. The average life span is 3 to 4 years, but one tagged hummingbird lived to be 12 years old. Hummingbirds in most regions of the U.S. migrate to Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. In California, and some other southern areas, the birds stay around all winter long. If you are lucky enough to have them in your yard year-round and you feed them during the summer, keep your feeders full through the winter also because the birds will depend on that source of food.
Hummingbirds favor long tubular blossoms, and the color red gets their attention first.
They also will feed at orange, pink, yellow, blue, and purple flowers if they contrast with the foliage. They will only feed at green flowers if the leaves of the plant are a different color so that the flowers stand out against the background foliage. Feeding Tips 1. Unless you have a large population of hummingbirds, the sugar water in a large feeder will likely turn sour before the birds can finish it. Be sure to include one that attaches to a window so you can watch the birds up close.