Turn Your Yard Into A Hummingbird Haven With This Simple Swing DIY
Hummingbirds can be some of the most welcome and elusive visitors to anyone's yard. While many homeowners fill their yards with feeders and eye-catching flora, these little creatures can often be hard to spot when not in blurred motion dotting to and fro. But hummingbirds also love to perch near their feeding grounds, and according to TikTok user @birding_by_ear, will take advantage of safe and secure spots to survey their territory. While well-placed feeders are always great for catching sight of these little creatures, you can also augment any feeding spot or a favorite bit of garden with a perch designed specifically for them. You can create a perfect swinging perch for hummingbirds using a few lengths of wire, some shiny or red-hued objects, and a wooden dowel or stick.
The key to successful sightings is making this perch a welcome spot for landing. It needs to be small because larger perches are prone to attracting other larger birds that may scare hummingbirds away. It also needs to be visually attractive to hummingbirds, their favorite attractors being shiny objects and bright shades of color in your garden. Even better, this adorable swing perch can be created with budget-friendly items widely available at dollar, craft, or hardware stores for well under $10.
Creating a hummingbird perch
To create your perch, you will need several lengths of wire. YouTube DIY-er Julie Roylance uses a thicker 14 gauge wire (available from Michaels for $6) as the base, which is then wrapped with green garden wire and slender copper wire that threads an assortment of red buttons. Begin by making your basic frame for the swing by attaching the 14 gauge wire in an arched loop over the dowel or stick. Attach the wire to the dowel (also available at Michaels for $3.49) by drilling two small holes, then threading the wire through and wrapping a firm loop. You will also create a loop at the top of the wire arch that will serve as a hanger.
Roylance creates several wire curlicues at the ends of each wire to finish it off prettily, making it easy to go back in and use needle-nosed pliers to fold in any sharp edges of the wire. Using another length of garden wire, she creates another curlicue and braids the wire with the other. She then uses a length of copper wire to thread several red buttons, wrapping the length around each side of the arch. The multiple wires will add strength and stability to the perch, while the buttons add a bit of red that will attract the hummingbirds. You can also, like @birding_by_ear, add other elements that make the perch especially desirable, like crystal beads and a small container with nectar.
Adding the perch to your yard
Because they are easy to create and cost so little to assemble, you can make several perches for around your yard anywhere you have seen or want hummingbirds to gather. You can make your perches as elaborate or simple as you like with shiny bits and bobs including buttons, crystals, beads, and other colorful notions that attract the birds. String several together with wire vertically for a multi-level perch that can attract several birds at once.
You can place your perches near existing feeders filled with hummingbird nectar, which you can make by adding sugar to water with a dash of red food coloring. They also love several varieties of plants and bushes, particularly those with red, pink, or orange-fluted blooms, so be sure to plant varieties that will attract hummingbirds to your yard. Place your DIY swinging perches near these plantings, where the birds will be looking for a rest and a chance to survey their territory.