Some people just click with animals, and animals totally gravitate toward them. HummingbirdsLit shared a video on Instagram of one woman who was lucky enough to make friends with a hummingbird, and it’s so cute to watch!
In the video, the woman is mixing up a batch of hummingbird nectar to put in her feeder, but the hungry bird doesn’t want to wait for it. He sits on the edge of the glass she’s mixing it up in, putting his beak into the nectar. He then takes a tumble, and she has to help the bird out!
HummingbirdLit jokes in the video’s caption, “Impatience never pays,” and this little hummingbird learned the hard way!
Commenters were just as surprised as we were by the friendly hummingbirds. @mcarlton75 shared, “I wish my hummingbirds weren’t so skittish. They don’t want to eat if I am near feeders.”
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What Do Hummingbirds Drink?
Many commenters were concerned that when the hummingbird fell into the measuring cup, its feathers got covered in sugar water, which is not good for hummingbirds. @lauraours shared, “Not cute at all! I can’t help but be worried about the bird. Sugar water on a bird’s feathers can cause the feathers to stick together and then fall out.” Another commenter added, “Sugar water is a death sentence for hummingbirds.”
Hummingbirds will lose their feathers if they get wet with sugar water, and it will take approximately three weeks for the feathers to regrow. Without human intervention, the birds may not be able to fly. But if you properly feed hummingbirds using a feeder, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Hummingbird 101 and many other sites say that sugar water is fine to give to hummingbirds, but you have to use the right amount. “With the right ratio of sugar to water, you can create nectar that closely matches the natural diet of hummingbirds. This helps provide them with the energy they need while avoiding excess sugars.”
They recommend:
- Use a ratio of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. This creates a 20% sugar solution.
- Boil the water first, then stir in the sugar until fully dissolved.
- Allow to cool before filling feeders.
- Discard and replace nectar every 2-3 days, or when it looks cloudy.