Sunflower Saucer Hummingbird Feeder

Fibonacci Saucer Feeder

A 3D-printable saucer-style hummingbird feeder with Fibonacci-inspired surface patterning. The entire design is driven by the golden angle (137.508°) — the same angle that governs seed packing in sunflowers, pinecones, and other botanical structures.

Design

The feeder consists of two parts:

• Bowl — holds the nectar reservoir (~409 ml capacity). The outer wall is covered in a cylindrical phyllotaxis dot field that spirals around the surface at the golden angle.
• Cover — a flat disc that drops into a recessed pocket in the bowl rim. The top surface features a 2D sunflower spiral radiating from center. Five feeding ports are each surrounded by a raised flower boss with 8 petal dimples — the raised lip helps deter bees and wasps while hummingbird tongues reach right through.

Three vertical hanger ears at 120° spacing extend above the bowl rim, each with a radial through-hole (4.5 mm) for hanging cord.

Multi-Color Printing

The cover is provided as split STLs for multi-color printing:

• feeder_cover_base.stl — the disc with Fibonacci dimples and port holes
• feeder_cover_flowers.stl — just the 5 raised flower bosses

Both files share the same coordinate origin. Import the base, then right-click → Add Part and select the flowers file. Assign each part to a different filament slot (e.g., white base + red flowers). Red flower bosses act as a visual attractant — hummingbirds are strongly drawn to red.

A single-piece feeder_cover.stl is also included if you prefer a single-color print.

Print Settings

Bowl — print with the flat floor on the bed. Walls, ears, and dimples all build vertically.

Cover — print with the smooth/undecorated side on the bed. The Fibonacci dimples and flower bosses face up.

Assembly & Hanging

1. Run cord, fishing line, or thin chain through the 3 ear holes.
2. Gather the cords above the feeder and tie off at a single point.
3. Drop the cover into the bowl's recessed pocket — gravity holds it in place.
4. Hang in partial shade, within ~10 ft of a shrub or tree for perching, and visible from above.

Filling & Maintenance

• Nectar recipe: 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water. No dye, no honey, no artificial sweetener.
• Fill level: ~340 ml (85% capacity). Nectar should sit just below the cover's underside so tongues can reach through the ports.
• Cleaning: Every 2–3 days in warm weather, daily above 85°F / 30°C. Hot water + white vinegar soak weekly — avoid soap residue.
• Red filament provides all the visual attractant needed. No dye in the nectar.

Dimensions

• Bowl: 140 mm outer diameter × 36 mm tall, 3 mm walls
• Cover: 135 mm diameter × 4 mm thick
• Feeding ports: 4.5 mm diameter × 5 (at 42 mm radius)
• Hanger holes: 4.5 mm diameter × 3
• Reservoir capacity: ~409 ml

Files Included

• feeder_bowl.stl — nectar reservoir with hanger ears and Fibonacci wall texture
• feeder_cover.stl — single-color cover (one piece)
• feeder_cover_base.stl — multi-color: disc with dimples
• feeder_cover_flowers.stl — multi-color: flower bosses only