You want to create a hummingbird habitat? Here's how.

Creating a hummingbird-friendly yard is more than hanging a feeder. A hummingbird habitat needs ongoing upkeep, including making sugar water, keeping it fresh, cleaning feeders, and preventing intruders such as ants, bees, and wasps. It also requires clean bathing water in sheltered bird baths and—when possible—native plants that flower and attract the insects hummingbirds eat, plus the spiders they use for nests. Conservation coordinator Kelcy Coleman says hummingbirds need nectar for most of their diet, but also protein from small bugs, especially during breeding season. Wild Birds Unlimited owner Dan Payne adds that feeder placement and indoor cats help protect birds from hawks.