Try These Hummingbird Attractor Tips to Bring the Beautiful Birds Closer to Your Georgia Home

Despite our best efforts, we have yet to spot our first hummingbird in and around Cobb County, GA, in 2023. So, we went out in search of the best tips we could find to attract or find the small flitters, which are delightful and fascinating to watch.

After failing so far to spot hummingbirds in the wild in 2023, we're following these tips to bring them closer to our Georgia home.Photo byForest SimononUnsplash

So far, we've watched our own yard in Northwest Cobb County, which unfortunately is still devoid of flowers due to late freezes and frosts. None spotted there.

We've visited local and regional flower and botanical gardens, including the massive Gibbs Gardens and other smaller ones. None seen there, either.

And we've walked along familiar city paths in Acworth, Marietta and Woodstock where hummingbird-friendly plants grow. Zero sightings.

We know hummingbirds have arrived in Georgia, based on reports by neighbors and the Hummingbirdcentral.com interactive map.Photo byHummingbirdcentral.com

We know the birds are here in Cobb County, because others have spotted and reported them nearby. We're determined to keep looking in the wild, and we're going to redouble our efforts to attract them to our home. And here's what we learned about attracting the them to our yard:

Feeders Are Great. With high metabolisms and fast-fluttering wings, hummingbirds feed frequently. Make it easy for them to get food with a feeder and they will come. You can find feeders at a variety of hardware, garden and other stores. There are great online resources for buying or mixing your own food, too.

Refresh Food Frequently. Feeding is not a "one and done" activity. You like fresh food, and so do hummingbirds. When the temperature is below 70F degrees, change the food weekly. Between 70F and 70F degrees, change it at least twice weekly. And once the mercury tops 80F degrees, its best to change daily.

Feeder Placement Is Key. You like the shade, and so do hummingbirds. So place the feeders in a shady spot to attract and keep birds near it for longer. That also helps keep the food fresher, too.

Add Some Bushes. Hummingbirds love nectar-producing red flowers. Georgia's Department of Natural Resources has an online resource to help you pick the right native species for best growth and hummingbird fun.

Now we're trying most of these tips and hope to see one of Georgia's 11 native or visiting species soon. And if we're fortunate enough to capture them on camera, you know we'll post photos and video updates.

We captured this hummingbird photo while visiting a garden in prior years -- right in front of the sign about how to attract hummingbirds!Photo byDeanLand / OurTravelCafe.com