10 Hummingbird House Plans You Can Build Today (With Pictures)
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There’s no mistaking a hummingbird the first time you see it flitting around your yard. Their speed is lightning fast as they dart flower-to-flower. The essential thing to remember is that it isn’t merely building a hummingbird house, and they move into your yard. Birds, like other wildlife, need a place that covers the basics of food, water, and shelter.
Fortunately, flowers cover the first two. The best way to attract hummingbirds is with some desirable plants, such as Cardinal Flower, Wild Bergamot, and Beebalm. All are either orange or red. They also have tubular-shaped flowers so that the hummingbird can get to the sweet nectar. That shape helps them avoid competition with bees and butterflies.
The last essential item is providing shelter. Each of these plans teaches you how to build a hummingbird house. Bear in mind that hummingbirds are quite territorial, unlike social or colony nesters like Purple Martins. Your yard will host one pair only. The female does all the work of raising her young. She may have one or two broods. However, you and your family will enjoy watching their new lives unfold. Let’s get to the houses!
1. Provide Hummingbirds What They Need to Nest
This first plan covers a lot of bases. It has a decent size platform on which the female can build her nest. It even has nesting materials available so that she can stay close to her clutch of eggs. There’s also a roof overhead to offer some shelter. The sprig of artificial plants in front gives the pair some privacy and security from potential predators.
2. Decorate It to Add Interest
Etching the outside of the hummingbird house is an excellent way to keep track of several nest sites with unique designs for each one. These birds are notorious for being fussy about where they live. Having more than one available will give them some choices. That’s part of what makes this plan so appealing. You can easily make a few to hang in your yard.
3. Make It Fancy
Granted, this plan is for the experienced woodworker. However, a hummingbird house doesn’t just have to be functional. It can be decorative, too. The larger size ensures adequate circulation while still providing a suitable living space. The placement of this nest stands out because it shelters the house from the elements. It’s an excellent takeaway message.
4. Sometimes Simple Works Best
This hummingbird house is about as barebones as it gets. It uses a large limb as its foundation. The best part about it is that it offers camouflage. Hummingbirds are at their most vulnerable when they’re on the nest. You’ll notice that the perch at the opening is relatively small. That’s because hummingbirds can’t walk well, if at all.
5. It’s Adorable and Functional
Again, this one is a project for the experienced hobbyist. Nevertheless, we love the design. It provides some camouflage, which is always a plus. There’s another benefit to this hummingbird house design. The exterior has a shiny, slick surface. That can make it more difficult for a predator like a cat to get on top of it and reach in for the birds.
6. They Are Easy to Make with the Right Equipment
We liked seeing the hummingbird house in the early stages of the process to show you how to make this style. It’s another way to create unique houses that give them a personal touch. This one uses a lathe and a Nichrome wire to add decorative designs. Yes, it’s probably more for you than the birds. However, we still like it.
7. Repurposing Common Items Also Works
We like this house plan because it’s so easy to put together. Female hummingbirds sometimes prefer an open place like this terracotta pot. It still gives her and her brood enough shelter, especially with the proper placement with something overhead to protect them.
8. Make It Natural
This design uses similar material that birds may use to make a nest. That’s where it succeeds. It’s an excellent way to make a hummingbird house look more inviting because it’s made of materials the birds would likely encounter in Nature.
9. Make It Pretty
This plan takes the terracotta theme to a new level with a snappy design and a different riff. We like it because it is a symbol of the relationship between flowers and birds that strikes the right note. The enclosed house is a deterrent to predators, too.
10. Cover All the Bases
This house differs from the others in our roundup with the inclusion of the bottom. We liked it because it’ll make it more difficult for ants to climb inside of it. After all, hummingbirds and these insects like the same kinds of food. Both are also resourceful. Any barriers that give the birds an edge is a welcome addition.
Related reads:
- 14 DIY Bluebird House Plans You Can Build Today
- 16 Oriole Feeder Plans You Can Build Today
- 25 Gift Ideas for the Gardener Who Has Everything
Final Thoughts About Hummingbird House Plans
Putting a birdhouse in your yard is an excellent way to invite wildlife into your life. It offers a perfect teaching opportunity for both you and your children. Learning how to build a hummingbird house is quite simple. You can even make it a family project. However, be patient. Choosing a nesting site is a vital decision for hummingbirds to make. With the right one, you’ll have some new neighbors right away!
Very few options available in Pinterest and Instagram. Most were the same design with different patterns.
Featured Image: mari_sparrow, Pixabay
Contents
- 1 1. Provide Hummingbirds What They Need to Nest
- 2 2. Decorate It to Add Interest
- 3 3. Make It Fancy
- 4 4. Sometimes Simple Works Best
- 5 5. It’s Adorable and Functional
- 6 6. They Are Easy to Make with the Right Equipment
- 7 7. Repurposing Common Items Also Works
- 8 8. Make It Natural
- 9 9. Make It Pretty
- 10 10. Cover All the Bases
- 11 Final Thoughts About Hummingbird House Plans
