Hummingbird Nests are as Small as a Thimble, Be Careful Not to Prune Them

Certain kinds of hummingbirds are critically endangered due to their very small size, delicate nature, and smaller eggs than a jelly bean. The birds are only a few inches long.

“Hummingbird eggs are tiny, about the size of jelly beans! Please remember to carefully check for nests before you trim trees and shrubs.’

34 hummingbird species (10%) are listed as “critically endangered,” which means they have a 50/50 chance of extinction within the next ten years. So keeping an eye out for their tiny nests while pruning is essential for their survival.

The nests usually are usually built on a branch with a downward-slant, and often you will find them on a branch hanging over running water or open space, according to The Hummingbird Project. They are quite delicate, building their nests from lichen, plant detritus, and spider webs. Additionally, the lichen does a fantastic job of hiding its nests.

Hummingbirds, on average, flap their wings between 50-80 beats per second, making them a literal blur to the human eye, if you have ever seen a hummingbird’s wings flapping, its usually because the video has been slowed down or the hummingbird is landing.

Because of their rapid metabolism and fluctuating body weight due to feeding and energy expenditure, hummingbirds can consume up to eight times their body weight in sugar each day. Given that they typically feed five to eight times an hour, they spend a significant portion of their waking hours in search of food!

Their hearts can beat over 1200 times per minute! If you compare that to the average human whose heart beats around 80 times per minute, that means every time our heart beats once, the hummingbirds heart beats 20 times, it’s crazy!