A “hummingbird house” is typically a small, wooden, or plastic structure sold online or in garden stores, marketed as a ready-made shelter or nesting spot for these tiny birds. These products are designed to look like miniature birdhouses, sometimes featuring a small perch or opening. However, for people hoping to provide a home for a nesting hummingbird, these manufactured houses generally do not work for their intended purpose. Hummingbirds will almost universally avoid these structures, meaning the purchase is unlikely to result in a nesting family.
Understanding Natural Hummingbird Nesting Habits
The female hummingbird is solely responsible for nest construction and raising the young. She builds a delicate cup-shaped nest that is a marvel of engineering. The nest is remarkably small, often about the size of a large thimble or half an English walnut, which helps it blend into its surroundings. Natural nests are anchored to a thin, often downward-sloping branch or a sturdy fork in a shrub, typically 10 to 40 feet high.
A key material in the construction is spider silk, which functions as an elastic binder, lashing the nest to the branch and allowing the cup to expand as the nestlings grow. The exterior is meticulously camouflaged with bits of lichen, moss, or plant fibers, making the nest look like a natural knot or bump on the branch. This intricate, open-cup design provides the necessary concealment and flexibility for the tiny family. Hummingbirds are classified as open-cup nesters, which explains why they reject enclosed structures.
The Truth About Manufactured Houses
Hummingbirds are not cavity nesters, which is the biological reason they will not use any type of enclosed birdhouse. Birds that use nest boxes, such as bluebirds or chickadees, are seeking a hollow cavity, a behavior that hummingbirds simply do not exhibit. The manufactured houses fail because they present an enclosed space, which is contrary to the open-cup nesting strategy of these birds.
The commercial houses also lack the necessary camouflage and elasticity that define a successful natural nest. A hummingbird’s nest must be able to stretch and grow with the two pea-sized eggs and subsequently the developing chicks. Furthermore, hummingbirds are highly territorial and prefer nesting locations that offer wide, open sightlines for predator detection, rather than the confined view provided by an enclosed box.
Proven Ways to Support Hummingbirds
For those who wish to support hummingbirds, focusing on habitat and resources is significantly more effective than offering a manufactured house.
Habitat and Food Sources
A foundational step is planting native nectar sources, such as tubular red or orange flowers like bee balm, salvia, or trumpet vine. These flowers provide the high-energy nectar they need. Native plants also host the small insects and spiders that are a crucial protein source, especially for nestlings.
Feeder Maintenance and Materials
If you use feeders, maintain a strict nectar ratio of one part plain white sugar to four parts water, and avoid using red dyes or honey. Cleaning the feeder is paramount, requiring a thorough wash every two to three days, or daily in hot weather, to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and mold. Providing a source of water, such as a fine mist or a shallow birdbath, is also helpful, as hummingbirds enjoy bathing in fine spray. Maintaining dense foliage and leaving spiderwebs undisturbed provides both safe shelter and the raw materials for a female to build her own intricate, functional nest.