The hummingbird is the smallest and one of the beautiful birds throughout the world. So, many people like to enjoy seeing these little and charming birds. Moreover, many people build hummingbird houses manually in their yard or garden.
Like other people, you might also want to hang a hummingbird house in your garden. But you might be confused about where you can hang the house and how you can build one.
Well, building a hummingbird house is not that difficult. You need to know the step-by-step process and the appropriate place to hang the house.
Where should you place a hummingbird house?
First of all, you should place a hummingbird house in a high place. Moreover, you have to ensure that the house or nest has shelter from rain and wind. Besides, you should not keep the house enclosed. It should be an egg-shaped house and you can place it under your roof or on a branch of a tree.
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You can also place a hummingbird house in a different place. But for doing this, you must ensure the environment that hummingbirds like. So, let’s see where you should place a hummingbird house.
Under the roof:
You can’t keep the hummingbird house in a random place since these birds like high places. If you keep the house inside your house, you have to keep the hummingbird house in a high place like under the edges of your roof.
Sheltered tree branch:
The sheltered tree branch is one of the best places where you can keep the hummingbird house. Generally, hummingbirds don’t like an open house.
So, a sheltered tree will be convenient for them. Moreover, the tree branch will provide the hummingbird a high place and support from wind and rain.
On a hanger outside:
You can also hang the handmade hummingbird house outside on a hanger. You have to keep the height as high as possible. You can make the house in such a way so that the house is sheltered. But you have to keep a ventilation system to allow air passing.
In your garden:
If you want to place the hummingbird house in your garden, you have to choose a high place. If you don’t find a high tree in your garden, you can make a long stand and hang the hummingbird house on the stand.
But make the hummingbird house in such a way so that the house is sheltered from the wind, rain, and excessive sun.
What kind of house do hummingbirds like?
Generally, hummingbirds don’t like conventional birdhouses. They like the places that are high from the ground. So, often you might see hummingbirds’ houses in the high branches of trees.
Hummingbirds like open houses. They also like the house that keeps them safe from rain. So, they might make a house that has a hole to enter from the sideway but shelter above. Moreover, they like to build their houses in the forks of tree branches.
Generally, hummingbirds don’t have a specific shape for building a house. They build a house that has a little cavity.
How to make a hummingbird house?
You can make a hummingbird house in several ways. The house doesn’t need so many elements to make since the hummingbird is a tiny bird. Even hummingbird make their houses with different materials and shapes. That’s why you can also make them with different types of materials. So, let’s see how you can make a hummingbird house.
Using cedar pole:
You can make a hummingbird house from cedar poles. So, let’s see how you can make it.
Arrange the essentials:
First, you have to get ready all the necessary tools like a piece of cedarwood, wood glue, a small stick, drill, clamp, etc.
Cut the cedar piece:
Then you have to cut the cedar piece with a saw. You have to cut the piece about 1/2″. Then you have to cut another piece about 4”. Place the first piece on the end of that it was cut from.
Drill a hole:
After that, you have to drill a hole for making the living room. You have to set the drill at least 1/2″ from the bottom. After drilling the center hole, change the bit with a 3/4″ bit to make another small hole for the door.
You have to drill the door a bit higher than halfway from the top. Then you have to make a little hole under the door according to the size of the stick.
Attach the stick:
Attach the stick to the little hole under the door using wood glue. Then place a bead around the top of the house with wood glue and adjust the house so that it may look like one piece.
Hand the house:
Finally, you can hang the hummingbird house after the glue dries.
With water balloon:
Gather the elements:
At first, you will need a water balloon and some newspaper. Fill the balloon with air and tie it properly.
Tear the newspaper strips:
Then tear some of the newspaper strips and attach the strips to the balloon with moderate to strong glue. Make sure to keep a hole for making the door for the hummingbird.
Stick the paper to get a structure:
Continue to stick the papers until you get a sturdy form of a layer. Then keep the balloon for drying the glue completely. After drying the glue, you can pop the balloon with a pin.
Make a bottom:
Now you will see a structure with a hole inside. Then you have to punch four holes in the bottom and feed dowels through the holes to make a sturdy bottom.
Add nesting material:
For making the house look natural, you can glue nestling materials, silk leaves, etc.
Place in the higher place:
Finally, you can keep the hummingbird house in a higher branch of the tree.
How big and how high should a hummingbird house be off the ground?
Hummingbird house should not be so big and large. You might know that hummingbirds are the smallest birds. So, you can make pretty small houses for them.
Generally, the size of the hummingbird house should be approximately 4.5 x 4.5 x 8.7 inches. Besides, the size of the hole should be about 1.6 x 1.8 inches.
Hummingbirds like high places for their houses. So, the house should be at least 10 to 40 feet high off the ground. Otherwise, hummingbirds will not be attracted to the house. Even the house might be 90 feet high.
What size hole for a hummingbird house?
The size hole for a hummingbird house is pretty small. The hole should be at least one inch long so that the bird can enter and out easily. Sometimes, the hole can be more than one inch. But you must ensure that the hole should not be more than two inches.
For example, an average size of a hummingbird house hole is 1.6 x 1.8 inches. It provides easy access to the hummingbird to use the birdhouse.
Do hummingbirds accept and build nests in birdhouses?
Generally, hummingbirds don’t accept and build nests in birdhouses. They don’t like the conventional type of birdhouses. Hummingbirds like to build their own nests out of different materials.
For example, hummingbirds use moss, lichen, plant down, feathers, spider silk, etc., materials to make their nests.
But they don’t like the birdhouses no matter what the shapes and colors are. So, they don’t accept birdhouses generally. If you want to make them use birdhouses, you have to make the hummingbirds attracted to the houses.
How to attract hummingbirds to a birdhouse?
Hummingbirds are not attracted to birdhouses generally. They like to build nests from different types of materials. So, here are some tips that you can follow to attract hummingbirds to a birdhouse.
- Use red or orange color materials in the backyard such as red or orange ribbons to attract hummingbirds.
- Tempt the hummingbirds with homemade nectar.
- Install a perching or resting place in your backyard or garden so that hummingbirds can come to take a rest.
- Install nectar feeders in different places of the garden.
- Encourage hummingbirds with small deciduous trees and dense shrubs to build nests.
- Make a waterfall so that hummingbirds can come there to take a bath.
- Plant colorful flower plants in your backyard to attract hummingbirds.
- Keep the feeder and nectar clean always.
- Don’t clean the spider webs because hummingbirds use these webs to make nests.
Final Thoughts
Hummingbirds are special birds and their nest-making process is also special. Generally, they prefer a higher place and an open house. So, you have to make a hummingbird house that is kept in a high place. Moreover, you have to make the house with natural elements to make it look natural.