Can you put a Hummingbird feeder on a table

Don't allow a little imagination get in your way, as the prospect of setting up an hummingbird feeder on an outdoor tabletop sounds like a grand idea.

You can put a hummingbird feeder on a tabletop outside, providing you play caution to the wind at all times, while being mindful of the dangers of feeders toppling over or being within reach of pets. Safe option is a saucer style hummingbird feeder but the taller model should be half full, so its not top heavy.

Unhook the hanging hummingbird feeder off its bracket and safely position it on top the table of your outdoor furniture.

In this time you should hopefully see hummingbirds move over to the new location, but more time may be needed - including a slow progress rather than one big move.

Most hummingbird feeders are made to be hung or can be mounted to a window, but to site a feeder on a flat surface of any kind is not unusual at all.

In fact, as it happens most hummingbird feeders are equipped with a flat bottom, as to make it easy on you as you change out the sugar water mix, saving you the hassle placing the feeder on its side as it would roll away.

Its this flat surface that is needed to place the feeder on a tabletop, but the wider area this flat bottom has the safer it would be.

Proof is in the pudding, as seen in this footage as a hummingbird happily uses a feeder which is sat on a flat surface in the backyard.

Risks are possible with feeders toppling over, but to use a flat saucer style hummingbird feeder would be near impossible to fall over. Unlike that of the taller feeders, but to only fill it less than half way can prevent it being top heavy.

Locate the hummingbird feeder on the table in a safe spot in the center, or place it on the edge or corner as it means hovering hummingbirds have more clearing below them as they feed at the port feeding wells on the feeder.

Feeders can be on table

Hummingbird feeders can be put on the flat surface of an outdoor table, baring in mind it might not be as effective of the hanging hummingbird feeder option.

Setup the feeder on the table knowing hummingbirds must be able to see it.

Ideally, you should begin the process of attracting hummingbirds to their feeders the way they know best - its only then you may be able to convince your hummingbirds to feed off a feeder placed on a table top.

Not at all an usual location for an hummingbird feeder, as a yard with plenty of hummingbirds can see many hop over to join tabletop feeder.

Continue to follow strict rules of where to place an hummingbird safety, but this time make sure nothing can cause harm to the birds as they feed so close to the table.

Safe saucer type feeder only

What is important when offering a location for hummingbirds to feed in your yard, is making sure the environment you setup is a safe one.

On this occasion its the type of hummingbird feeder in use that can be an issue.

As you may know, with the many kinds of feeders for hummingbirds available, they can be placed into two categories; the flat saucer shape feeder and the tall tower type hummingbird feeder.

And while both styles, including many others, are made with a flat bottom - understand to be top-heavy it can cause the feeder to topple over.

I would therefore recommend use of a flat saucer shaped hummingbird feeder if you wish to place it on a tabletop - but the tower feeders can be used if you at least fill it with the sugar water mixture half way up or below in the plastic or glass tube.

Distribution of weight is far safer in the flat feeder so I would only recommend you use this style only, just to be on the safe side.

Where to place on table

Much like where you would place a hummingbird feeder in your backyard, you will need to think about setting the feeder in not only a safe area, but an effective area that is.

Personally, I would say to position the hummingbird feeder near to the edge or corner of the outdoor tabletop, can be made easier for hummingbirds who prefer to hover as they feed - as oppose to hummingbirds that settle on the perch.

Not much clearing between the feeding port wells and the tabletop surface, so as hummingbirds wish to hover or land, they become quite close to the table in mid-flight, thus running the risk of an accident.

To place the hummingbird feeder on the corner of the table, even if it has to hang over a little bit, there's two clear sides. But to place it on an side only there would be only the one side with no table below sit.

You can put a hummingbird feeder on a table top which will probably be near the center for sure, although be aware you may need to experiment with placements in case of lack of interest.

Flat on tabletop or hung options

To solve the issue of any type of hummingbird feeder being set too close on the tabletop surface, I may have the answer for you, well... three options for you really.

While the option of simply steadying a hummingbird feeder with no assistance to keep it upright during use, is a solid option - let's take a look at a couple more ideas for locating the hummingbird feeder on the table.

To have the best of both world's in terms of locating a hummingbird feeder on the tabletop, can I suggest you think about a multi-purpose stand for hanging.

I know you wish to make life easy by placing the hummingbird feeder directly on the outdoor garden furniture, but this choice can be very effective.

Make no mistake, hummingbirds like the safety of feeding at a height, so to bring the height up an extra foot or two would see success.

It involves the use of a multi-purpose stand that has a large loop on the bottom so this metal stand is stabilized, either for flower baskets or in this case - use of an hummingbird feeder.

Similarly, you could mount what is called an adjustable decking rail hook to hang plants or bird feeders. Its therefore possible to fix this hook on the edge of the table while the hummingbird feeder hangs above it in safety.

Be mindful of setup

Lots can go wrong when setting up an hummingbird feeder on top of an outdoor table, so you must be mindful of what can go wrong.

First and foremost, not all hummingbird feeders are made to balance upright, so a little gust of wind could topple it over.

And for this to happen as hummingbirds are feeding, there's no thinking what could go wrong, so hummingbird safety is essential at all times.

Tabletop hummingbird feeder location can be safe if the yard is left in peace and quiet, so to have pets, particularly cats - can risk hummingbirds brought to harm - so absolutely no pets, but more importantly no cats must be present.

Similarly, the hummingbird feeders on a table would be made accessible to squirrels in the day if left unattended.

Hummingbirds would come to a hummingbird feeder that is seen on top of a table, but they won't come at all if its always disturbed by you or if the location is too close to the noisy next door neighbors.

While this is a focus on the well being of the hummingbirds, let's take a look at what can happen to the area the feeder is set in.

Risk of damaging table top

Often forgotten by people who wish to setup a hummingbird feeder in a less than normal location, is the damage sugar can do to the surface the feeder hangs above.

In this case the sugar contents can indeed stain the tabletop the hummingbird feeder is sitting on - or indeed hanging above it using my tips for hanging a hummingbird feeder above an outdoor table.

Hummingbird feeders can get a little messy as the water can spill in use, or often leak onto the surface below it.

Obviously, with a regular clean up of the hummingbird feeder in which must be twice a week at the very least - and so too a clean up below it can prevent stains building up.

Consequence of being too lazy to clean your hummingbird can result in pests being attracted to the feeder, including the need to eventually getting rid of bees on the feeder.

If these pests persist then simply hummingbirds will not feed off the tabletop feeder at all.

To summarize

If you are thinking about setting up a basic hanging hummingbird feeder on the flat surface of an outdoor table, rest assured it can be done with no trouble at all.

Worse case scenario would be hummingbirds leaving the feeder well alone, but to re-position the feeder around the table would see a series of birds come to it in due course.

Hummingbird feeders are made to hang but come with a flat surface to make it easy on you to disassemble and refill - so this flat bottom can be used to position on the tabletop.

However, safety first as the likelihood of any hummingbird feeder toppling over in wind is sure a possibility.

I therefore suggest switching to a flat saucer style feeder that cannot tip over at all. Unlike the taller, tower hummingbird feeders that are top heavy. Not so if you were to only fill this type of feeder half way up with sugar water mix.

Pick a place on your outdoor table that is flat but offers a secure location, preferably more in the middle.

But what you can do is site the hummingbird feeder near to the edge, or better still the corner to guarantee more clearing for hummingbirds that insist on hovering as they feed.

Its vital you understand the risks involved in setting up a feeder of any kind on a lower location - as cats or other pets would be in reach of feeding hummingbirds.

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