How Hummingbirds Build Their Nests

People in both the United States and Canada love watching tiny hummingbirds as they head north during the spring in order to raise their young.

Hummingbirds arrive from the coasts of South America and Mexico, in search of cooler climates which are more suitable for them to rear their brood. In fact it is essential to the survival of the new chicks that the parent birds find the perfect nesting spot.

Having made a start by finding the perfect nesting location, the next step is to begin the construction procedure. The female is at this point very pregnant, and the building is therefore a tiresome procedure for her. She needs to find the right temperature for her young ones, as well as an environment where they can be protected.

To protect the chicks from the elements the ideal temperature is one which is stable, and mainly less than 96 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is too hot, the embryo chicks will be cooked, and they will die before hatching.

In order to find the right temperatures, the female hummingbird may seek higher altitudes for nesting. Popular spots for nesting hummingbirds are ponds, lakes and other still bodies of water.

Hummingbirds, especially ruby-throated ones, can be very smart in their approach to nest building. Nests are usually built in large, leafy trees. This means that the air is cooler there than the air surrounding, and the nest is sheltered from the wind. This is even more important than choosing the right climate for the mother bird, because the eggs could roll away in a strong wind and be broken into pieces on the ground.

Considering all these environmental factors, the mother bird starts to build her nest.

So the mother bird considers all of these issues, chooses her spot and begins the process of next building. This takes around one week to complete, with the tiny bird working for four to five hours each day. Each day she makes over one hundred trips. The foundation is built using spider webs, which are sticky and act like glue. Next a layer of moss or soft leaves. Now the next begins to be molded and shaped.

Next come more spider webs, and a mixture of spider web and moss, as well as other items such as small branches or twigs. These help to camouflage the next against possible predators. Mother hummingbirds can be very creative in the construction of their nests, and build up and effective smokescreen to hide it from prying eyes.

As well as perfect camouflage, the nest walls are thickly built so as to protect the chicks from the wind.

The end result is a beautiful creation. The father bird is not allowed near the nest once it has been completed, owing to his bright, flashy coloring which could attract possible predators.

Hummingbirds are amazing in their courage, boldness and intelligence: beauty and brains combined!