Hummingbirds and Nutrients
Some birders worry that feeding a hummingbird 'sugar water' is just a way to get it fat. Not to worry, hummingbirds are just using you as a dessert tray!
Hummingbirds, like all birds, do not rely solely on your offerings to live. In fact, if birds lived solely on seeds, they would be pretty malnourished! Hummingbirds enjoy a wide variety of flower nectars, as well as various insects and bugs. Your sugar-water mixture is just a small part of the total diet of a hummingbird.
You should never add honey to a hummingbird mixture, even though it's "natural", because honey promotes bacterial growth and mold. In the same manner, adding vitamins and minerals to your hummingbird's water mixture can encourage bacteria to grow and give the mix a funny tasty - discouraging the hummer from drinking.
Hummingbirds are incredibly active creatures that need amazing amounts of energy to keep their metabolism going. So their sugar-water treats are a supplement to their diet that help make it easy for you to see them. Hummingbirds can easily survive without your feeder, but by having one, you lure them into sight. No need to worry about providing 100% of a hummingbird's USDA requirements! Just as in real humans, the best way to get vitamins is always through what the natural world provides. And hummingbirds are quite good at doing that.
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