Hummingbirds are amazing little birds that capture the imagination of people everywhere. Their tiny size, brilliant iridescent colors, and remarkable flying abilities make them a joy to observe. One of the most interesting aspects of hummingbird behavior is their nest building and nesting habits. Female hummingbirds construct intricate little nests out of plant fibers, spider silk, feathers, and other materials. They lay tiny eggs in these meticulously crafted nests and diligently incubate them until the chicks hatch. This raises an intriguing question – if a person provides a ready-made nest, will hummingbirds accept it and use it rather than building their own nest from scratch? This article will examine this question in detail.
Do Hummingbirds Use Ready-Made Nests?
Many people enjoy having hummingbirds visit their yards and gardens. To attract these captivating birds, they often put up bird feeders with sugar water or flowering plants that hummingbirds are drawn to. Some people take it a step further and provide ready-made nests, hoping to entice hummingbirds to nest on their property. But do hummingbirds actually use ready-made nests offered to them, or do they prefer to gather materials and weave their own nests?
The evidence indicates that hummingbirds may sometimes utilize ready-made nests, but in most cases they still opt to build their own. Here are some key points on hummingbird nesting preferences:
– Hummingbirds often show interest in investigating ready-made nests and may gather materials from them to incorporate into their own nest building. However, there are very few verified accounts of them actually using a ready-made nest to lay and incubate eggs.
– Female hummingbirds exhibit strong instincts to gather their own nest materials and construct their own unique nests. The actual nest construction appears to be an important part of their nesting behavior.
– The materials, dimensions, and positioning of ready-made nests may not be ideal for the preferences of each individual hummingbird. Their innate instincts drive them to build a nest customized to their needs.
– Hummingbirds may occasionally use ready-made nests if they are an exact replica of a nest they would build themselves. Even then, they often still add materials and modify it to their liking.
So in summary, while it’s not impossible for hummingbirds to use a ready-made nest, most evidence indicates they prefer to gather their own materials and build their nest themselves. But offering ready-made nests may still be helpful to attract hummingbirds and provide materials they can incorporate into their own nest building.
Tips for Attracting Hummingbirds to Nest on Your Property
Even if ready-made nests are not used often, many people still aim to entice hummingbirds to nest in their yard or garden. Here are some tips to increase the chance of attracting hummingbird nesting:
– Provide plenty of flowering plants with tubular blooms that hummingbirds are naturally drawn to. Good choices are fuchsias, petunias, bee balm, columbines, trumpet vines, and honeysuckles.
– Include flowering trees and shrubs such as mimosa, lilac, citrus trees, and weigela. Hummingbirds often nest in tree branches.
– Offer variety by including different colored flowers that will bloom sequentially from spring through summer.
– Suspend feeders with sugar water to supplement their diet and regularly draw them to your property.
– Ensure there are plenty of small insects for the hummingbirds to eat once the chicks hatch. You can attract insects with certain plants.
– Provide nesting materials such as cotton, hair, feathers, moss, and shredded bark. Collect these in a mesh bag.
– Place any ready-made nests at least 5-10 feet off the ground in sheltered sites protected from people and predators.
– Avoid pesticide use where hummingbirds are nesting.
– Be patient! It may take time for hummingbirds to discover and make use of nesting sites on your property.
Can Store Bought Hummingbird Nests be Successful?
There are many companies that manufacture and sell ready-made hummingbird nests for consumers who want to attract hummingbirds to their property. These artificial nests are marketed as an easy solution. But do store-bought hummingbird nests actually work and get used by hummingbirds? There are a few considerations:
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| May get investigated by hummingbirds gathering materials | Hummingbirds often prefer to build own nest |
| Mimics materials and structure of real nest | Placement, dimensions and materials may not be ideal |
| Can supplement nesting sites | May not be accepted by all individual hummingbirds |
| Durable and long-lasting | Not as customizable as self-built nest |
Based on these pros and cons, commercially available artificial hummingbird nests can be successful in some cases but are not guaranteed to be used. The key advantages are that they mimic real nests, can supplement natural nesting sites, and are durable if they are put in a suitable location. However, since hummingbirds strongly prefer to build their own nests, many commercial ones go unused or require modifications before acceptance.
If you do provide store-bought nests, it is best to give hummingbirds the option of self-built nesting materials too. You can improve success by observing hummingbird activity and repositioning or customizing ready-made nests as needed. Overall, store-bought hummingbird nests may support and facilitate nesting, but hummingbirds build their own nests by instinct.
Unique Examples of Hummingbird Nests
Hummingbird nests are engineering marvels constructed from ingenious materials. Here are some fascinating examples of unique hummingbird nest materials and locations:
Unusual Nest Materials
– Pet hair – Hummingbird nests have been found woven full of clumps of dog, cat, and horse hair. The long hair strands provide an excellent sturdy binding material.
– Paper – Shredded paper, tissue paper, and crepe paper are sometimes used as filling and outer wrapping for hummingbird nests.
– Spider egg cases – The silken egg cases of spiders often adorn the outside of hummingbird nests, camouflaging them.
– Moss and lichen – In areas where moss and lichen grow, hummingbirds may incorporate them into the nest walls for padding and insulation.
– Pine needles – The pliable pine needles from certain coniferous trees make excellent flexible infrastructure for hummingbird nest shapes.
Unique Nest Placement
– Mailboxes – The overhang of mailboxes often mimics the shaded protection hummingbirds seek when nesting.
– Clotheslines – Sturdy clothesline cords provide the perfect stable base to anchor hummingbird nests.
– Tree stumps – Cavities and cracks in old damaged tree stumps are prized nesting spots. The stump still has life!
– Porch lights – Hummingbirds may construct a nest on top of porch lighting fixtures, drawn in by the warmth of the bulb.
– Rain gutters – Long rain gutters offer protected overhangs that hummingbirds love to build nests under.
These examples illustrate the incredible flexibility and innovation that hummingbirds display in finding nest materials and sites that meet their needs and preferences. Their resourcefulness never fails to impress!
Tips for Discouraging Hummingbirds from Unwanted Nesting Areas
While most people love to have hummingbirds nesting on their property, they can sometimes choose inconvenient spots like porch lights or clogged gutters. Here are some tips to gently deter hummingbirds from nesting where you don’t want them:
– Identify and eliminate attractive factors that drew them to the area, like food sources or small crevices.
– Use decoys or scattering reflectors designed to scare away birds. Vary placement frequently.
– Attach porous fabric or mesh over the area to block access once they start building.
– Use a garden hose on low pressure to dislodge initial nest materials before the nest is completed and eggs are laid.
– Install plastic owls, aluminum foil pans, streamers or spikes on ledges and fixtures to discourage perching.
– Apply sticky bird repellent on surfaces where they gather nest materials like sap or cobwebs.
– Run a small fan to make the area unstable for nest anchoring.
– Vacuum away any nest start-ups as soon as you notice them. Act quickly before nests are finished.
The key is making the area less appealing and accessible for nest building early, before hummingbirds are committed to the site. Never disturb an active hummingbird nest with eggs – it is illegal. With some creativity and persistence, problem nesting spots can be successfully discouraged.
Fascinating Facts About Hummingbird Nests
Here are some interesting facts about the nests these tiny birds construct:
– They use spider silk extensively to bind materials. The silk is 5 times stronger than steel per unit weight!
– Their nest walls are stretched and compressed to be expandable as the chicks grow.
– The inside is lined with the silky fibers from plants like thistle, milkweed and fireweed.
– They prefer to gather materials like lichen, moss and leaves to camouflage the nest exterior.
– Nest dimensions are tiny! They are normally 2-3 inches wide and 1 inch deep.
– They often decorate the outside with lichen or flower bits to disguise the nest.
– Old nests are not re-used. A new nest is built each breeding season.
– The nest is engineered to stick to branches in rain, wind and weather. The anchoring is very robust.
– They may build a spare non-breeding nest for sleeping called a “cock nest.”
– Their miniature nests weigh only about one tenth of an ounce when completed.
– Building the nest takes 6-12 days and about a thousand trips to gather materials.
Hummingbird nests represent an incredible effort and architectural achievement for such a tiny bird. Their skill and ingenuity is inspiring! Hopefully this article provided some interesting insights into the world of hummingbird nesting behavior.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds are determined nest builders, exhibiting a strong natural drive to gather their own materials and construct their tiny but complex nests. While they may occasionally utilize ready-made nests as a supplement, most evidence indicates they prefer the nest they intricately build themselves using soft fibers, spider silk, feathers and down. If you want to successfully attract hummingbirds to nest on your property, providing their favorite flowers, food sources and plenty of natural nest materials will be more effective than store bought nests alone. But the opportunity to observe these captivating birds choose nesting sites and build their nests is the real reward that keeps fascinatedbird watchers coming back.
