Mar 31, 2022
Where to Hang a Hummingbird Swing: Placement Guide
Quick answer: Pop's rule of thumb: hang the swing about a foot from your feeder, at the same height, in a visible but not overly enclosed spot. Avoid hanging it deep inside a dense, heavily-branched tree — hummingbirds may not notice it, and dense cover can hide predators. Follow the same window-safety rule as feeders: if it's near a window, keep it within about 3 feet of the glass, and treat the glass.
A hummingbird swing (really just a dedicated hanging perch) only works if it's placed where hummingbirds will actually notice and use it - near a food source. Here's what matters.
Why Placement Matters
A hummingbird with a reliable meal nearby doesn't spend its day searching. It sits, rests and digests. Research shows hummingbirds spend about three-quarters of the day perched when food is plentiful, and as little as about a fifth when it's scarce. The closer and richer their food, the more they sit, and they like to rest near good food and guard it from nearby perches. Giving them a comfortable perch right beside your feeder is Pop's reasoning behind the Original Hummingbird Swing™: that quiet resting time happens where you can see it. They'll still use your trees and shrubs, too, but you get more of those moments up close. Placement is what makes that work; get it wrong, and even the most comfortable perch in the world goes unused.
What Is a Hummingbird Swing?
A hummingbird swing is a small hanging perch made for hummingbirds. Pops built the first one by hand after watching a hummingbird return to a twig near his feeder in his backyard in Menifee, California, and wondering whether it would sit on a swing. It did. Today's Original Hummingbird Swing™ uses our patented Polyperch®, shaped like the slender twigs hummingbirds grip in the wild, and hangs from an 'S' hook so it can go right beside your feeder.
Do Hummingbirds Like Swings?
They use them the way they use a good twig: as a place to rest, preen and keep watch over their food. We haven't found research showing the swinging motion itself matters; the perch is the point. What our customers tell us they love is the moment a hummingbird actually stops and sits right by the feeder, and that's the moment a swing is for.
Distance From the Feeder: About 1 Foot
Hummingbirds use nearby perches to rest between sips and to keep watch over a feeding territory, so the perch needs to be close enough to feel connected to the food source. Pop's rule of thumb is about a foot away, at the same height. It's a rough guide, no need to measure. Too far, and hummingbirds may not associate the perch with the feeder at all.
Shop the swing
Original Hummingbird Swing™, Onyx
Built for exactly this spot: hang it about a foot from your feeder, at the same height, and hummingbirds get a comfortable perch right where they already feed and keep watch. The perch is our patented Polyperch®, and it comes with an 'S' hook for hanging. Made in the USA and backed by our Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Shop the Original Swing →Height: Match Your Feeder
There's no special height requirement beyond what already applies to your feeder — generally 4 to 6 feet, at a height that's easy for you to see and enjoy. Keeping the swing at a similar height to the feeder keeps the whole setup feeling like one connected feeding station rather than two disconnected objects.
Sun or Shade? A Little of Both
Hummingbirds will use a swing in full sun or full shade, but a spot with a few hours of morning sun and afternoon shade tends to see the most consistent use — the same balance that works well for feeder placement generally. If your yard naturally has a sunnier spot and a shadier one near the feeding area, hanging a second swing in the other kind of light gives hummingbirds a choice of where to rest, and gives you more chances to watch them no matter the time of day.
Shop the feeder
AspenPerch® Hummingbird Feeder, 8 oz
A swing works best beside a feeder hummingbirds can count on. The AspenPerch® keeps nectar in an open bowl with a leak-proof design and a built-in ant moat, and its Grandview™ perch placement lets them sit while they drink, so you get two close-up resting spots in one feeding station. Made in the USA with a Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Shop AspenPerch® →Avoid Burying It in Dense Branches
It might seem natural to hang a perch deep inside a leafy tree, but that can actually work against you. A swing placed among a lot of competing branches is easy for hummingbirds to overlook — and dense cover close to a feeding area can also give predators a place to hide. Praying mantises in particular are documented, if uncommon, hummingbird predators: they sit motionless on a branch or feeder waiting for something to come close, and large mantises are capable of catching a hummingbird. A clearer, more open spot near the feeder — but with some general cover nearby for retreat — tends to work better, and it's worth a quick visual check for mantises if you keep dense plantings near your feeding area. Our guide to praying mantises and hummingbirds covers what to look for.
Window Safety Applies Here Too
The same window-collision guidance for feeders applies to swings: if it's near a window, keep it within about 3 feet of the glass, so a bird leaving it can't build up dangerous speed, and treat the window itself, which is what actually prevents strikes.
Worried about the glass? Why Hummingbirds Are Especially Vulnerable to Window Strikes covers the treatments that hold up and what to do if a bird does hit.
If Hummingbirds Aren't Using It Right Away
Give it time. Just like a new feeder, a new perch may take a while to be discovered. If it still goes unused, try moving it slightly closer to the feeder or to a more open, visible spot nearby, and keep the nectar fresh in the meantime, since a feeder they can count on is what the swing sits beside.
A swing only gets used beside food worth guarding. Nectarade® Ready to Use pours straight into the feeder with nothing to mix, made with pure cane sugar and no dyes, so keeping the nectar fresh every 2–3 days is one quick step.
Shop Nectarade® Ready to Use →A clever trick if they still haven't noticed: Swap the positions of the feeder and the swing. Hummingbirds have strong location memory (in a study in Animal Cognition, wild Rufous Hummingbirds learned a rewarding spot after a single visit) and will return to the exact spot where the feeder used to be — since the swing is now there instead, they'll notice it directly rather than continuing to overlook it. Once they've found it, you can move things back to your preferred layout if needed or keep as is.
Timing helps too: putting a swing out early in the season, before hummingbirds have settled into a fixed routine around your feeder, tends to get it noticed faster than adding one mid-season once regulars already have an established pattern. Late-season additions still work — it may just take a bit longer.
Is it the feeder, not the swing? If hummingbirds are skipping the feeder too, Hummingbirds Not Using Your New Feeder? Here's Why and our 7 common fixes walk through the usual causes.
Key Takeaways
- Pop's rule of thumb: hang a swing about a foot from your feeder, at the same height, so hummingbirds connect it with the food.
- Match the height of your feeder, generally 4–6 feet, for a connected feeding station.
- A few hours of morning sun with afternoon shade tends to get the most consistent use.
- Avoid dense, heavily-branched spots — they're easy to overlook and can hide predators, including the occasional praying mantis.
- Near a window, keep it within about 3 feet of the glass, and treat the glass.
- Early-season placement tends to get noticed faster, though it's never too late to add one.
- Give a new perch time to be discovered (it may take a while), and adjust placement if it still goes unused.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close should a hummingbird swing be to the feeder?
Pop's rule of thumb: about a foot away, at the same height. That's close enough that hummingbirds connect the perch with the nearby food source.
What height should I hang a hummingbird swing?
Match the height of your feeder, typically 4 to 6 feet, so the perch and feeder function as one connected feeding station.
Should I hang a swing in sun or shade?
Either works, but a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade tends to get the most consistent use. If you have both types of spots near your feeder, a second swing in the other light lets hummingbirds choose.
Should I hang a swing inside a tree for cover?
Not directly inside dense branches. A more open, visible spot near the feeder works better — dense cover close by can hide predators, including the occasional praying mantis, and make the perch harder for hummingbirds to notice.
Can a hummingbird swing cause window strikes?
The same safety rule for feeders applies: if it's near a window, keep it within about 3 feet of the glass so birds can't build up dangerous speed, and treat the glass.
What if hummingbirds aren't using the swing?
Give it time, since it may take a while for them to find it. If it's still unused, try moving it slightly closer to the feeder, or temporarily swap the positions of the feeder and swing — hummingbirds will return to where the feeder used to be and notice the swing there instead.
When's the best time of year to put out a hummingbird swing?
Early in the season, before hummingbirds settle into a fixed routine around your feeder. A swing added later in the season still works — regulars may just take a bit longer to notice it.
Do I really need a swing if my feeder already has branches nearby?
Not strictly — hummingbirds will use a nearby twig or branch as a perch on their own. A dedicated swing gives them a smoother, more consistent perch than a random branch, and lets you position it exactly where you want the best view.
Do hummingbirds like swings?
They use them the way they use a good twig: as a place to rest, preen and keep watch over their food. We haven't found research showing the swinging motion itself matters; the perch is the point. What our customers tell us they love is the moment a hummingbird actually stops and sits right by the feeder, and that's the moment a swing is for.
Do hummingbird swings actually work?
They give hummingbirds a comfortable place to rest right by your feeder, where you can see them. See the full research breakdown in Do Hummingbird Swings Really Work? What the Research Actually Shows.
Will a swing make hummingbirds stay longer?
Here's what research shows: hummingbirds spend about three-quarters of the day perched when food is plentiful, and as little as about a fifth when it's scarce. The closer and richer their food, the more they sit, and they like to rest near good food and guard it from nearby perches. So keep your feeder clean and fresh, and give them a comfortable perch right beside it. That's Pop's reasoning behind the swing: all that resting time happens where you can watch them sit, preen and keep an eye on their feeder.
Summary
Placement for a hummingbird swing follows largely the same logic as feeder placement: keep it close to the food source (about a foot away), match your feeder's height, favor a spot with some morning sun and afternoon shade, avoid burying it in dense cover, and apply the same window-distance safety rule. Get those basics right, and the swing gives hummingbirds a comfortable place to rest right where they're already feeding, so you get more moments of joy watching them up close. For the bigger picture of food, water, shelter and safety, see how to create a hummingbird sanctuary in your backyard.
Ready to add one to your setup? Shop the Original Hummingbird Swing™.
Shop the Swing Setup
Everything this guide recommends for a swing that gets used: the swing itself, a feeder to hang it beside, the two together in one bundle, and nectar to keep the feeder worth visiting.
Pete Stankovich is the Director of Business Development for Pop's Birding, where he has helped grow the company's mission of connecting people with hummingbirds and the natural world since 2020. A lifelong outdoorsman, outdoor educator, and conservation advocate, Pete brings decades of field experience to his work. For 12 years, he served as a Boy Scout leader and merit badge instructor, teaching Bird Study, Nature, Fish and Wildlife Management, and other outdoor-focused programs. He also spent 5 years on a search and rescue team, developing expertise in outdoor safety, wilderness awareness, and Leave No Trace principles. Pete holds a B.A. in Business Communication from Chapman University and a Strategic Marketing Management certification from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
