Should you use a glass or plastic hummingbird feeder? An expert weighs in on safety, cleanliness, and what's best for hummingbirds.
If you want to feed hummingbirds and don’t already have a sugar water feeder, you’ll likely be faced with a choice: glass or plastic? Both options are readily available, and both offer vital energy to hummingbirds that need it. With that said, there are benefits and drawbacks to each type of feeder.
Here’s what John Shewey, author of The Hummingbird Handbook and hummingbird expert, has to say about the glass vs. plastic hummingbird feeder dilemma.
Plastic vs. Glass Hummingbird Feeder: Is One Safer?
Those concerned for birds’ safety might be wary of plastic. While John says there’s currently no scientific research to demonstrate that plastic in hummingbird feeders isn’t safe, he recommends taking a few precautions. “Recent findings have shown high levels of BPA in aquatic birds,” he notes, highlighting that BPA-infused plastic can have adverse effects if birds ingest material containing the chemicals. His recommendation is that those who use plastic feeders should keep them out of direct sunlight.
Glass feeders may keep nectar fresh for slightly longer, especially in hot weather, but you should still make a fresh batch every couple of days.
Are Saucer or Bottle Feeders Better?
Both feeders have advantages and disadvantages and it comes down mostly to personal preference.
A “bottle-style” feeder, whether made of glass or plastic, is more likely to spill when you’re refilling it. Additionally, if the seal goes bad or the feeder tips in the wind, it may leak. This could cause problems for hummingbirds’ delicate feet and feathers, as well as attract insects. However, these feeders do tend to hold larger amounts of sugar water if you’re feeding multiple hummingbirds.
Flat saucer-style feeders are less inclined toward spillage and leaking, and they attract fewer insects because the nectar is below the feeding ports. They are typically smaller in size.
Psst—never make these common hummingbird feeder mistakes.
Are Plastic or Glass Feeders Easier to Clean?
John recommends the saucer-style feeders (frequently made of plastic, although some glass styles are available) for their ease of cleaning. “Saucer-style feeders are generally the easiest to clean because they have no difficult-to-reach crevices, corners, or holes,” he says.
Glass bottle feeders, unlike plastic saucers, can be run through the dishwasher for sanitizing. Bottles with wide openings are easier to scrub. Any plastic parts still need to be cleaned by hand, though. “Use a bottle brush, and—every bit as important as thoroughness—clean the feeders frequently,” he says. “It’s much easier to keep feeders clean than to thoroughly clean dirty feeders.”
Do Hummingbirds Prefer Glass or Plastic Feeders?
Simply put: it doesn’t matter to the birds. John says hummingbirds will adapt to either style of feeder.
Keeping that in mind, he believes saucer feeders are more “bee-proof” than bottles. “The sugar water sits too far below the ports for bees to reach, and the ports are too small in diameter for bees to fit through,” he explains.
Ants can invade any style of feeder. To deter them, make sure to keep the ant moat on your feeder filled with water.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, which feeder you use is a matter of personal preference. In fact, you can even use both: that’s what John does. He includes both glass and plastic feeders as part of his yard’s setup, although he makes sure not to place plastic feeders where they’ll get full sun.
“I typically have between four and six feeders up, spaced so there’s one on each side of the house, each out of sight from the others to try to prevent one pugnacious hummingbird from trying to dominate all or most of the feeders,” he says.
In John’s opinion, the best hummingbird feeder for you is the one you’ll consistently fill and clean. He also recommends adding hummingbird-favorite flowers to your yard — this way, there’s always somewhere your birds can eat.
About the Expert
Oregon-based author and nature photographer John Shewey wrote The Hummingbird Handbook: Everything You Need to Know About These Fascinating Birds, published by Timber Press.
