If you’re lucky enough to have a thriving hummingbird population in your backyard, you may encounter swarms of hummingbirds waiting around a kitchen window or back door in anticipation of fresh nectar. An unsuspecting hummingbird might accidentally venture in through an open door or window.
Now comes the challenge – how do you remove a hummingbird from your house without hurting it? There are several ways to do so that are low-stress for both you and the hummingbird.
This article takes a look at 9 steps to get a hummingbird out of your house. Keep reading to learn about these methods.
How To Get A Hummingbird Out Of Your House
1. Visually locate the hummingbird.
Some hummingbirds can be heard before they are seen because they are so small. Make sure you have visual confirmation of the bird if you believe one is trapped in your house. Moths and bees can make similar noises, and you don’t want to get prepared to remove a hummingbird just to find out it’s actually a hornet!
Most trapped birds instinctively fly upwards to escape. This might help them get out of a thicket in the wild, but in a house, a ceiling will prevent them from leaving. If you scan the ceiling of the room, you may spot the hummingbird faster than if you simply look at ground level.
2. Remove and turn off anything that could threaten or hurt the bird.
Hummingbirds have many predators, including domestic pets. In the wild, a hummingbird can flee from cats or dogs, but indoors, they’re trapped. As soon as you have eyes on the hummingbird, remove any pets from the room.
If there are children around, exercise judgment in whether they can assist in removing the bird or might just contribute to more confusion. Ensure that they are quiet and refrain from making noises that might upset it further.
Turn off devices such as televisions or speakers. Bright screens and loud noises may confuse hummingbirds about which way is outside.
If you have a ceiling fan or any other type of fan in the room, turn it off too. It goes without saying that spinning blades in a room with a scared hummingbird is not a good combination.
3. Close any entrances to non-exterior locations.
If there’s an open closet door in the room where the hummingbird is trapped, close it. Close any cabinets, cupboards, and openings to other rooms or dead-end storage spaces.
4. Turn off the lights and open the windows.
Hummingbirds are naturally attracted to light sources. If they notice a light differential between the indoors and outdoors, they’re more likely to fly towards that source.
Turn off the room’s lights to reduce confusion between which light is from the sun and which is from an artificial source. If you’re in a room with windows that open, throw open the curtains and open as many windows as you can. Don’t forget to take off the window screens to assist the hummingbird in creating an easy exit.
Similarly, if the room has a door that opens to the outside, like a porch or garage, ensure it is open.
If they’re in an interior room without windows, make a passage for them to exit. Prop open the doors and remove access to spaces that are farther away from the outside.
5. Remove distracting objects.
Many hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, and other very bright pinks, yellows and oranges. Like the color of the flowers they are used to visiting. This is helpful when they are buzzing around outside in search of their next meal, but not so much indoors. If the room the hummingbir