Nesting Habits of the Anna's Hummingbirds

Breeding Season and Habitat

• For Anna's hummingbirds, the breeding season starts in December and ends between May and June the following year. Their breeding habitat is usually either in mountain meadows or forests. The male Anna's hummingbirds get to the area around a week earlier than the females, so they can establish a good territory and a plentiful food supply.

The Nest

• The female Anna's hummingbird is the one that builds the nest. It constructs the nest from plant fibers and down, spider webs and feathers with an exterior made of dead leaves or lichens -- which are symbiotic organisms comprised of fungus and algae. The nest is open and cup-shaped. It can be constructed on a variety of surfaces, but it's most often on the twig of a tree or shrub. The nest can be anywhere between 3 and 27 feet off the ground.

Courtship

• It is the male Anna's hummingbird that performs a courtship display to the female, in order to try to initiate mating. This type of hummingbird doesn't pair-bond, so they must find a new partner each year. The male starts courtship when the nest is only partially completed. It hovers in front of the female, before rising high into the air and making a high-pitched, squeaky warbling sound. The male then dives down in an arc in the direction of the female and makes an explosive sound.

Incubation and the Young

• Female Anna's hummingbirds lay a brood of two white eggs. It incubates the eggs and raises the young completely alone. The female needs to incubate eggs for between 14 and 19 days. When the young hatch, they are naked, black and need their mother to feed and take care of them. The female Anna's hummingbird looks after the babies for between 18 and 23 days, until they're independent and able to fly and fend for themselves.