The Hummingbird

The hummingbird is the smallest bird in the skies – and arguably the fastest!  Over 300 varieties of hummingbirds are native to North America but they exist worldwide.  Their brain capacity (as a percentage of body weight) is about double ours and they do recognize humans.  

These remarkable creatures migrate about 3,000 miles per year and take on 40% of their body weight before each long trip to and from their wintering areas in Mexico and the tropics.  It is a long, lonely journey since they only fly 25 miles per day – and do not fly in groups.

Hummers are the only bird that can fly up, down, forward and back.  They need to eat twice their body weight daily to be able to sustain 200 wing beats per minute!  On a typical day they visit 1500 blossoms to collect nectar but won’t go back to that same blossom for several days, thus allowing the nectar to rejuvenate.  They are attracted to red, yellow, blue and other bright colors.

Hummer Houses

Our Hummer Houses were designed to improve chick mortality rates and to encourage repeat migration to your area.  The colorations are intended to blend into the typical wood surroundings yet achieve initial attraction through bright colors.  The access hole is only 3/4” in diameter and we bore the entire inside of the wood block out to provide a “nesting space” of 1 & 3/8” by approximately 3 & 1/2”.   The entrance is small enough to prevent intruders, but the living space big enough to accommodate a nest the size of a nickel and two eggs the size of a Tic Tac!  Without houses nests are often raided or destroyed by wind and rain. 

Male Hummingbirds are even more aggressive than normal during the hatching period but once the chicks are five days old both parents typically go about their business.  Chicks will try to return to the same house the next year but the parents do not.

Our Hummer Houses are Hand Made from the Best Materials

These attractive but functional Hummer Houses are made one at a time in Jim Beelaert’s shop.  Jim is a retired general contractor who has always enjoyed woodworking.  His retirement hobby has become a cottage industry.  No two houses are alike, and your order will be unique.

Building and finishing a quality bird house involves 19-20 steps that convert a block of maple or cherry into a decorative durable accent piece that attracts some very unique visitors!  Our operations involve turning, sanding, boring, shaping, assembly, staining, painting and weather-proofing on each house.  

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