My experience has been that the more feeders I add, the more traffic I get.

Donna, VA

Hummingbirds are very territorial - I've found the best way to provide feeders for multiple birds is to locate them so that the birds don't see each other. One in the front of the house and one in the back has worked well for me in the past.. Two feeders side by side are easy for one agressive bird to guard.

I've got two feeders on my deck this year, and with this dry spell the birds are very agressive. It's quite comic to see the first two wiz off in a battle of wills, and have the little female slip in for a nip while they aren't watching!

I'm in a VERY rural area in SE GA and have been wild-birding for a good many years, this year being my first with hummingbirds. So far, this is my experience: Started with 2 feeders and one fiesty, territorial hummer. I saw Miss Fiesty chase all other hummers away - so - I got 15 shepard's hooks, 15 ant moats, and 15 various feeders and scattered them around the landscaped areas of our property. This strategy has not worked. Miss Fiesty is smart and determined to keep the other hummers from getting to any nectar, either from the feeders or from the flowers. She actually patrols the entire parameter frequently for intruders. I am now waiting for delivery of more ant moats and will put another 6-7 feeders at the far front area of our property and I will just have to see what happens. This year, I figure I'm laying foundation. If I keep the feeders up, clean, filled with fresh nectar this first year, then hopefully, the hummers will follow - may take a while, but I've read that consistency and dependability with the hummers usually pays off. I've found that the simplest feeders with perches are the favorite feeders. First Nature, Dr. JB's, Opus Hibiscus. Probably if you had to pick just one very dependable style, I'd have to say First Nature is the one Fiesty spends the most time feeding from.

If you know there are hummers in your area its a pretty good bet more feeders will bring in more company. I may have had more hummers than I thought last year but I only had 4 feeders and Im sure some went where there was more to eat for I also had no flowers. This year I have 10 feeders altogether and a pretty fair selection of hummer plants and certainly my share of hummers on a consistant bases even thou they are migrating.

I have 3 feeders, and 2 hummers.. one is nesting in a side yard tree and it always chases the other one off.. hes sooo stingy with his food :) but they are fun to watch.. I just
wish he would let the other one eat too.

Alii--- spread those feeders out and then both can eat.

Last Sept was the first time we had ever seen "swarms" of hummingbirds on our feeders. We have 7 feeders and the 3 that hang in front of our sunroom windows would be completely full--a hummer at EACH opening -- with others hovering above waiting their turn!! It was a sight to behold! At the same time, some would be zooming across the yard to the other feeders that would have 1 or 2 on each of them. All feeders are in our small backyard. The 3 feeders at the windows are about 20 ft apart. We estimated 30 hummers but it was only an estimate. They would zoom over the roof, then back into the yard, then into the trees. We would sit in our lawn furniture facing the windows and just watch the show. My sister would make it a point to come by as soon as she got off work so we could watch together. Needless to say, we are just counting the days until Sept to see if it happens again! I have had 3 hummingbirds for awhile this summer. Can't wait to see what Sept will bring.

I say yes to this. Last year was the first year I put out 3-4 feeders and I had up to 15 hummers at one point all fighting over them. Prior to that I only had 1-2 feeders and maybe 4-5 hummies at most.

This year I will put one in my front yard as well as the 3-4 in the back.

For those of you who have multiple feeders and numerous, but fiercely territorial birds, you might try grouping feeders together... I know it defies logic, but...

I have 8 feeders in a tight grouping. I can stand in one place and touch all of them. Just leave room for them to navigate. I go through about 6 quarts of nectar per day and it is not uncommon to see most ports in this group full with little to no territorial behavior. (if one takes chase... it is simply replaced by another bird, so they learn to say put.)

I have 10 feeders in total and yes, I do think more feeders attract more birds... if they are in your neighborhood anyway.

Well as I had hoped, Sept has certainly brought lots of hummers. I was able to count 13 today but I know there are a few more. So far, not quite as many as we had last Sept but seems like each day there are more. They certainly put on a fantastic show! Too bad they will all be gone later this month but they are really a joy while they're here.

Avorancher, thanks for that insight. I currently have 5 feeders, none in sight of any other. I have never seen more than one hummer on a feeder at any given time. We're moving next spring, from northern Indiana to a ridge in central Tennessee. I don't know if there are hummers on my ridge already, but I'll be doing all I can to attract them, and sooner or later they'll find me. I'll remember your grouping tip!

Just an update. We now have more than 20 hummers zooming across the yard and sometimes all 6 ports will be full with 2 or 3 others hovering above waiting their turn. It is a sight to behold! I have snags "planted" in flower pots sitting under or near three of the feeders for the hummers to perch on just outside our sun porch. My husband put tomato cages right by the feeders that are hanging from the trees.The hummers love to perch on these to TRY to guard "their" feeder.

Thanks everyone for the advice. I've since added two more feeders, so there seems to be less fighting over the one feeder I had to begin with. I now have two in the front, and one in the back. I notice alot more activity at all of the feeders. I don't know if I'm attracting more or not, but I sure am enjoying the show!

I will remember the tight grouping effect and try it next year. I have three small feeders hanging on a slim elm tree and there is fighting but often all three are used at the same time. I have nine feeders in the front yard and 1 large feeder in back. In the back there is always one hummer who perches on the fence near it guarding that feeder next year there will be more feeders, grouped differently. This morning I had about 15 hummers and enjoying it for they will soon be gone. I had one adult male arrive yesterday and is guarding one feeder hanging from a sheperds hook again today.

I have seven feeders for one "Mrs. Feisty" ! She only uses four, and will absolutely NOT share with the one other Hummer I've seen come around. I have a small yard in an urbanish neighborhood, and my little friend has made it her territory!!

jeelli--- I have ladies just as fiesty, they will guard all 3 window feeders and the entire flower bed. The only thing that can really change it is if she leaves or you get a slew of hummers coming in to her area. While shes fighting off 3 or 4 another 3 or 4 sneak in to feed. And that is what makes hummer watching so fun. Besides the 10feeders in my front yard a have one large feeder in back and there is always one hummer standing guard on that feeder trying to ward off all comers. But I have also seen 8-10 hummers swarming that feeder. What a show!