Hummingbird Nest Searching Tips

Attention Southern Californians! Hummingbird breeding is nearly in full swing! Here are some tips for finding hummingbird nests. 

If you see evidence of of a hummingbird nest around the LMU/ Westchester area, whether it be on campus, in the Ballona Wetlands, in your back yard, or on your front porch, please let us know! 

*#1  TIP* PATIENCE PATIENCE PATIENCE! Hummingbird nests are notoriously difficult to find. They are extraordinarily well camouflaged, tiny, and often strategically hidden in bunches of leaves that shelter them. One of our best nest searcher's strategies is to carefully scan each branch at different angles. While this is often tedious, it a proven effective method, and the excitement when you finally find a nest is well worth the effort! 

2) Nest Appearance: 

-Small (golf ball sized) cup. ~1.5 in diameter. ~1 inch in height

-Tan

-Often white speckles on outside (thin pieces of bark)

3) Nest General Location: 

-Bushes or Trees often in medium dense foliage; outer edges

-2.5 ft to 12 ft off ground

-Under overhangs, both built structures and natural canopy

-In the vicinity of hummingbird flowers (often red)

4) Female Appearance:

-Anna's: Larger; Green back and wings, black wing tips; White/ grey speckled chest  (Anna's); Pink spot on throat (Anna's) (as opposed to full pink throat or helmet in male)

-Allen's: Smaller; White chest with orange sides/ underwings (Allens); Black wing tips; Orange spot on speckled throat (as opposed to full orange throat in male)

5) Listen! Hummingbirds are much easier to locate when they are chirping, especially when they are perched or sitting on a nest. 

6) Watch! If you see or hear a female hummingbird dart into or out of of a bush or tree, follow that same spot where it went in/ came out and carefully look for nest. Also listen! If she went in, you might be able to pinpoint the nest by her chirping. If she went out, you might have spooked her, and she might be close by and chirping lots to tell you something like  "Hey my nest is there, go away!" (so if you hear lots of nearby chirping, search carefully).

7) Transects: Check the same spots every time you search. It is very easy to overlook nests, and they can pop up within a couple days, so the more times you look at one tree (once every 1-2 days) the more likely you will find a new nest. This is called a transect, when you walk (or travel along) a planned path taking observations throughout or at set points. This is not necessary, but it allows you to continuously and consistently monitor the same spots. Of course, also add new spots you hadn't thought to search before, when you notice them.

8) Be careful! When crawling or pushing your way through bushes (often necessary), please be careful not to disturb any hummingbird (or any other animal's) nests. To avoid accidentally knocking the chicks or eggs out of the nest, never touch the nest or the branch/ bush the nest is on. In the rare case that a hummingbird egg, chick, or adult has fallen out of the nest and is injured, (unless you have bird handling experience) please leave it alone. Call 310-338-5104 and/or send an email to ebertser@gmail.com immediately and we will respond as appropriate. 

9) Carry a camera or binoculars. This is by no means necessary, but taking pictures of  hummingbirds feeding and flying around often relaxes my frustration with not finding nests. More so, it encourages me to closely observe one or a few hummingbirds around me, trying to find their favorite perches and potential nesting sites. 

10) Have fun!!!