Hummingbirds are territorial, and a nesting female will vigorously defend her nest. But what happens if her nest is disturbed or damaged during the nesting season? Will the hummingbird abandon the nest and eggs or hatchlings and not return? Or will she continue to care for them despite the disruption?
The answer depends on a few key factors:
How badly is the nest damaged?
If the nest is only slightly disturbed but remains intact and secured to its original location, there is a good chance the hummingbird will return and continue using it. Hummingbirds have very high nest fidelity and are reluctant to abandon an established nesting site.
However, if the nest is severely damaged or destroyed beyond repair, the hummingbird will likely abandon it and not come back. She cannot repair a nest once it is compromised. Building a new nest from scratch takes time and energy, so she may opt to move on if the original is no longer viable.
Timing of the disturbance
When during the nesting cycle the disturbance occurs also affects the hummingbird’s response. Early in nest building, she may simply rebuild in the same general area if disrupted. However, abandoning eggs or young hatchlings is a last resort.
The later in the breeding season, the more committed the female is to that nest. If eggs have been laid or babies hatched, she will tolerate more disturbances before leaving for good. The instinct to continue caring for existing offspring is strong.
Availability of food sources
Hummingbirds depend on flowering plants and feeders for their high-energy diet. If a reliable food source is very close to the original nest, the female is more inclined to reuse or rebuild it even after a disruption. When food is plentiful nearby, she doesn’t have to choose between nesting and feeding.
However, if a nest is damaged and food is also scarce in that area, abandoning the site becomes more appealing. The extra time needed to find nourishment overrides nest fidelity.
Predation risks
Hummingbirds are vulnerable to predators like jays, squirrels, and snakes when on exposed nests. If these threats increase after a disturbance, perhaps due to greater visibility or accessibility to the nest, the site becomes too unsafe to reuse.
Remaining exposes the hummingbird and her offspring to added predation dangers. Relocating to a new hidden site nearby reduces these risks.
Nature of the disturbance
The female hummingbird’s perception of what caused the nest disruption also affects her response. Major disturbances like tree trimming that significantly alters the nesting area will likely cause abandonment. She may interpret the dramatic change as a predation threat.
However, accidental and infrequent disturbances like a person briefly accessing the area may be tolerated, especially later in nesting. She distinguishes between ongoing threats versus one-time events.
Personality and experience
Individual personality plays a role in nest fidelity versus abandonment. Some hummingbird females are simply more skittish and abandon nests more readily when frightened. Others persist through disruptions that would drive off other birds.
Age and nesting experience also factor in. Older females with successful prior nesting attempts may have greater nest fidelity. Younger, first-time nesters may be quicker to abandon at the first sign of trouble.
Offering alternative feeding sites
Providing a nearby supplemental feeder increases the likelihood a female will stay or return to a disturbed nest. Easy access to backup food resources counterbalances the disruption, so she doesn’t have to choose between nesting success and her own survival.
Situating fresh feeders 15-20 feet from the original nesting area gives her viable options if the nest remains unusable. This improvised habitat modification improves the chances she will rebuild nearby.
When to intervene or remove damaged nests
It’s generally best not to intervene with a hummingbird nest or eggs, even if damaged. The female will make the determination whether to reuse, rebuild, or abandon on her own.
However, if a nest is damaged beyond repair late in the season, the unfledged chicks likely require removal to survive. Carefully removing nest, eggs, or hatchlings to bring to a wildlife rehabilitator gives them their only chance.
Likewise, intervening may be needed if a damaged nest threatens to upend an important event for homeowners. Carefully relocating it just prior to the event avoids outright abandonment or harming eggs/chicks.
Actions that increase return chances
If a hummingbird nest in a frequented area like a porch or yard needs maintenance access, there are some things homeowners can do to encourage return after a disruption:
- Keep any disturbance as brief and infrequent as possible.
- Approach and leave the nesting area slowly, avoiding sudden movements.
- Don’t touch or excessively lean toward the nest.
- Maintain some normal activity near the nest so she doesn’t associate all human activity with danger.
- Provide ample feeding stations within sight of the nest.
- Avoid tree trimming or other habitat alterations near the nest.
With extra care, the nesting hummingbird will hopefully resume normal activity at her original site despite interruptions.
Indications hummingbird will not return
Typically, a female hummingbird will return quickly after brief disturbances if she intends to reuse a nest. But there are some signs she has abandoned it for good:
- She does not return for several hours after disruption.
- She is not seen near the original nest the following day.
- She is spotted building a new nest elsewhere.
- Distinct changes in her behavior when approaching the area, like wariness or agitation.
- Eggs left unattended over 24 hours signal abandonment.
If the female is not observed at the original nest for an extended time, it unfortunately means she has likely relocated completely.
Coping with nest abandonment
When a hummingbird abandons a nest, especially one with eggs or hatchlings, it’s understandably upsetting. While the instinct is to intervene, this is illegal and usually futile.
Instead, here are healthier ways to cope:
- Remind yourself it’s a normal part of nature. Birds abandon nests for various reasons.
- Let yourself feel sad, then focus energy on ways to help hummingbirds in the future.
- Leave the abandoned nest in place in case she returns. Removing it completely ensures she will not.
- Research safe, legal ways to assist orphaned hatchlings if present. Transport to a rehab facility.
- Enhance habitat by providing flowering plants, feeders, and nesting materials to better support nesting.
- Keep perspective. While special, one lost nesting attempt is a small part of a resilient species’ larger lifecycle.
With extra care and planning, abandoned nests can be avoided in the future. But letting nature take its course is also healthy.
In Conclusion
Hummingbirds have an strong instinct to stand by established nests and offspring. Mild disturbances are often tolerated, especially later in the breeding season. However, severe disruptions that compromise nest integrity or increase risks usually cause abandonment.
The precise response depends on the damage level, timing, food availability, dangers, and hummingbird personality. In some cases, carefully relocating compromised nests or intervening with orphaned chicks may be warranted. But in most situations, allowing natural processes to unfold is best.
With extra care around active nests, abandonment can be minimized. But it is a natural occurrence hummingbird enthusiasts must be prepared to experience from time to time.
