Interactive nectar tool
Hummingbird nectar calculator
This hummingbird nectar calculator scales the standard recipe — one part sugar to four parts water — to the size of your feeder, so you make only what will be used before it needs changing 1.
The ratio, the boiling-water method and the no-dye rule are Project FeederWatch's 1; switch the calculator to the oriole mix for the more dilute one-to-six recipe orioles take 1.
8 tbsp · about 100 g of white sugar, dissolved in 2 cups of boiling water — a 1:4 mix by volume. Let it cool before filling.
No red food coloring, honey or sweeteners — plain white sugar only. Change the nectar and clean the feeder every couple of days, sooner if it turns cloudy.
The hummingbird nectar ratio, explained
One part sugar to four parts boiling water, cooled, is the recipe FeederWatch gives for hummingbirds, and it should contain no red food coloring, which is harmful 1. Orioles take a more dilute one-to-six mix 1. Measure by volume — a cup of sugar to four cups of water — and use plain white sugar.
Make less than you think. A feeder that is drained within a couple of days stays fresh; one that sits half-full ferments and grows mold. FeederWatch's guidance is to clean hummingbird feeders every couple of days 1, so size each batch to what your birds drink in that time and store any extra in the refrigerator.
Keeping nectar feeders safe
More bird feeding tools
Frequently asked questions
What is the sugar to water ratio for hummingbird nectar?
One part sugar to four parts water — for example ¼ cup of sugar in 1 cup of water 1.
Do I need to boil the water?
FeederWatch's recipe uses boiling water, cooled before filling 1; it also makes the sugar dissolve fully.
Should hummingbird nectar be red?
No. Red food coloring is harmful 1; clear sugar water in a feeder with red parts is all you need.
What ratio do orioles need?
A more dilute one part sugar to six parts water 1.