All backyard birders know that hummingbirds drink sugar water, but what else do hummingbirds eat? Understanding what food sources hummingbirds like best can help you plan an attractive backyard buffet that will tempt these tiny birds as well as meet all their nutritional needs.

Nectar, either from suitable flowers or sugar water solutions, is the most abundant and most popular source of hummingbird food. ​The large amount of sucrose in nectar gives hummingbirds the necessary energy for their high metabolism, swift flight and energetic lives. Because nectar is liquid, it also supplies the birds’ necessary water, and hummingbirds do not typically drink from other water sources. Nectar does not, however, meet hummingbirds' needs for protein, amino acids and different vitamins and minerals, and they must eat other things to have a balanced and healthy diet.​