What is the oldest hummingbird ever recorded?

The record belongs to a Broad-Tailed Hummingbird female documented at a minimum of 12 years old through banding data. She was a breeding adult at first capture, meaning her actual age may have been even higher than the minimum established by records.

Do hummingbirds live longer in captivity?

Hummingbirds are almost never kept successfully in captivity — they have highly specialized dietary, behavioral, and environmental needs that are nearly impossible to replicate outside of licensed wildlife rehabilitation facilities. Lifespan data is based entirely on wild-banded birds.

Does feeder use extend a hummingbird's life?

A well-maintained feeder provides reliable calories that help birds through energy-critical periods — migration, cold nights, nesting. A dirty feeder can shorten a bird's life dramatically. The difference between a well-kept and a poorly kept feeder is substantial.

How can I tell how old a hummingbird at my feeder is?

You can't, without banding records. Young-of-the-year birds can be identified in late summer by fresh, unscratched plumage and certain plumage details that experienced birders recognize by species. But aging individual adult hummingbirds visually is not reliably possible.

Do hummingbirds return to the same feeders year after year?

Yes — strongly so. Hummingbirds have excellent spatial memory and return to the same feeding sites, sometimes within days of the same date, year after year. The bird visiting your feeder this summer may well be the same individual you hosted last year. **Give Them Every Advantage** Most of what shortens a hummingbird's life is beyond your control. But the quality of what's in your feeder isn't. Clean equipment, fresh nectar, and a dye-free formula are three things you can get right every single time. NectarBloom is designed around this idea. Pure cane sugar, nothing artificial, no red dye. Because the birds coming back to your feeder year after year deserve the best possible fuel. **Give your hummingbirds a longer, healthier life. Try NectarBloom pure cane sugar nectar — the clean choice for birds you care about.**

How Long Do Hummingbirds Live? | NectarBloom™