Hummingbird nests are not easily found.   They are very small and hidden very well.  People can overlook a nest thinking it is a spot on tree branches.  One of the best ways to find a nest is to watch for the female hummingbird going and coming from an area around a tree. 

   After migrating to breeding grounds, hummingbirds will look for food to resupply their energy.   Flowers or hummingbird feeders are great sources for their energy.   When they have fed, the female will begin to build her nest.

   The female hummingbird will look for the perfect place to build her nest.  She will look for a place that is off the ground and well out of predators reach.   She will build in a place that blocks the weather from getting to the nest during  a storm.  If the eggs fall out of the nest, they will break or can be eaten by predators.  She will  find a spot in a tree, usually in the "y" of a branch.   This gives the nest good support and makes it safe for her eggs and babies.   If you are lucky, you may even see her testing out a spot for her nest.    She will land on the area several times to test for strength.  The female will look for a spot that has plenty of leaves to cover the nest from rain and sun.   The female will choose a spot like this to keep her eggs from reaching above 96 degrees so her embryos will not be destroyed.   Many females like locations that are next to water, these areas are much cooler for nesting.

   Female hummingbirds need materials to make a nest.   She will look for materials that are soft like moss.   She will also use things like dryer lint, pieces of soft plants and cotton fluffs to line her nest.   She brings these materials back to the nest a little at a time.  She may even steal materials from another female making her nest.  The female hummingbird will use spider webs to hold the nest together.  She will carry the spiderwebs around her beak and chin and across her chest.   She will press the webs into the nest using her chin and body where she wants them to go.  The spider webs are great for building the nest, because they will flex as the babies grow.   It also makes it much easier for her to repair the nest if something should happen to it.  When she is building her nest she will try to hide the nest as much as possible.   She may use seeds, pieces of plants, and even small twigs to hide the outside of the nest.   The female tries to blend the nest in with the natural shading and lighting of the surroundings.

   The female hummingbird sits in her nest and uses her wings to press the nest to her body.  She does this to mold it into the shape she likes.   She will use her bottom to press the center and sides of the nest to make it round on the inside.   She will also use her feet to make the materials she has gathered solid in the bottom of the nest.

   The female hummingbird makes the bottom and the wind side of the nest a little thicker than the top and other side of the nest.   This will help to regulate the tempature of the nest.   On days that are colder, she will sit down farther in the nest to protect the babies and keep them warm.   When the days are warmer the air will pass through the thinner side of the nest and cool the babies.  Females will build nests deeper in the spring than in the hot summer months.

   A female will work on her nest about four hours a day.  She will make about thirty- four trips for materials per hour.  She will usually have a nest built and completed in about five to seven days.

   The nests are very small and the shape of a cup, about the size of half a walnut shell.   They are about the size of a penny to an inch and a half in diameter when they are finished.   The Hermit Hummingbird builds it's nest in the shape of a cone and will hang it from tree branches.

   Some hummingbirds may use the same nest from last year, if it has not been destroyed by the winter months.Others will not use the same nests , they will build a new one each year.   The female hummingbird sometimes builds the new nest on top of the old ones.  They have been known to also build more than one nest at a time.  The female will choose the one she likes the best and leave the other as time goes by.   This is a great place to see a mother hummingbird on video building her nest as she gets ready for babies: http://howtoenjoyhummingbirds.com/hummingbird_nests.htm.

   If you happen to find a nest with babies in it, it is best to leave it alone.   The mother cannot smell your scent but, predators can.   Touching the nest or babies can lead predators straight to the nest.   Leave the nest alone, the hummingbird may try and use the nest next year.  

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