Will hummingbirds eat seeds in a feeder?

Hummingbirds do not eat from seed feeders but will drink nectar out of nectar feeders. Scientists discovered that hummingbirds do eat small insects from flowers but rely strongly on a high-sugar diet that includes nectar and tree sap.

Hummingbirds prefer sap from the sweet maple tree and will eat pure maple syrup. Juice of rotting or fresh fruit is another favorite of the hummingbird including apples, pears and persimmons.

People who place hummingbird feeders out can fill the feeder with water and plain white table sugar. Honey was a previous substitute for flower nectar, but scientists discovered that pure white sugar was better than using honey.