Hummingbird Nest Archives - Good Living Guide

Nature still has the power to astound us, and one little hummingbird is an example of just that. The little bird’s clever nest has captured hearts and news reports all over the world.

Shrewd Little Hummingbird Builds Nest With Roof To Stay Dry

Facebook | Bianca Caroline Soares

A WALK IN THE WOODS

It began last year when Bianca Caroline Soares was walking through a nature reserve in the jungle near her home. Soares works for the Moises Bertoni Foundation, a conservation organization based in Paraguay. Soares recounts that she was feeling incredible sadness one day about the fate of the world. With a heavy heart, she said, she went out to immerse herself in nature to get her mind off her troubles. As she was walking, she encountered an amazing hummingbird’s nest.

Facebook | Bianca Caroline Soares

SHE SPOTTED AN UNUSUAL NEST

Soares was used to seeing hummingbird’s nests in the jungle. These birds are known for creating complex, intricate nests, but this one stood out because it had an actual roof. The clever hummingbird built the nest on a twig directly under a large, curved leaf.

“In the midst of all these tragedies and all this bad news, I received this gift,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “It’s just more proof of the saying that nature is wise.”

SHE KEPT HER BABIES SAFE

The leaf provided protection from the rain and sun for the bird’s nest and her babies.

The news gets even better. Soares told the Dodo she continued monitoring the nest. One day, she realized the bird was raising two babies in that nest. They grew up and successfully flew away to live on their own.

Let’s hope they inherited their mother’s homebuilding skills.

Tiny, elusive hummingbirds are some of nature’s most marvelous gifts, and it’s a wonderful surprise to find them in your yard. Now, the US Fish and Wildlife Service is stepping up to protect these precious birds.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Kelly Campbell

PREPARE FOR SPRING SURPRISES

Workers at the service issued a reminder to be careful when you’re cleaning, pruning or mowing to get your garden ready for spring. Hummingbirds can build nests in the most unexpected places including hanging feeders, plant pots and the forked branches of trees and shrubs.

Hummingbirds build detailed, intricate homes that they decorate with lichens and moss. They build them in the early spring when the weather starts to turn warm.

TINY EGGS AND NESTS

In most cases, you’ll see them after March. If you live in a warm, sunny region, you might be lucky enough to see hummingbirds all year. In cold, northern climates, you might have to wait until the end of May.

Their nests and eggs are so tiny they’d be easy to miss if you didn’t know their location. As a picture from the government agency shows, a hummingbird’s nest is about the size of a fingernail and the eggs are the size and shape of jelly beans.

To keep these potential visitors safe, move slowly when you’re pruning or cutting shrubs and trees.

HELP HUMMINGBIRDS FEEL AT HOME

If you want to go further and attract these colorful, buzzing birds to your yard, follow these pointers:

Set out sugar feeders.
Plant brightly colored flowers.
Install a water feature with moving or bubbling water.
Leave spiderwebs alone because hummingbirds use spider silk to build their nests.
Plant native grasses and plants because hummingbirds prefer them for shelter and building materials.

ENJOY LASTING BEAUTY

Like all birds, hummingbirds are threatened by habitat loss. You can help them by creating a yard that’s welcoming and safe. Hummingbirds return to their same nests every year, so you’ll enjoy their visits for years to come.