What a Hummingbird Home Looks Like
Updated: Jun. 11, 2021
Zoom in on one of these teeny-tiny nests and take a tour of its artful structure.
How a Hummingbird Makes a Nest
- The female smooths and shapes the inside of the nest using her body.
- Lichens, mosses, plant down and fibers make up the nest and camouflage its exterior.
- Her nest is big enough for two eggs, and incubation lasts 12 to 19 days.
- Most nests are built in the fork of a tree or shrub, 10 to 40 feet above the ground.
- She collects and weaves stretchy spider silk through the nest to hold it together, bind it to the supporting branch, and stretch as the chicks grow.
- A hummingbird nest is about the size of a quarter, and one egg is roughly the size of a jelly bean!
Plus: Learn why the rufous hummingbird is the toughest bird on the block.
No. 1 Mom
When it comes to the job of parenting, female hummingbirds do all the heavy lifting, from building the nest to raising the young. After both eggs hatch, the mother feeds her nestlings a slurry of nectar and keeps them warm. Once they’re about 15 days old, she starts bringing them small insects, continuing to care for them until about a week after they leave the nest. Learn more ways to attract hummingbirds to your backyard—beyond feeders.
