How to get a trapped hummingbird out of a building

Hummingbirds cover wide ranges of territory in their search for food.

Sometimes their search leads them indoors to places they cannot find their way out of – like a garage, shed, or even a living room.

It is important to get them outside quickly because these little birds can wear themselves out in a short period of time.

Why do hummingbirds come indoors?

The most common reason that hummingbirds are drawn indoors is that they see something brightly colored inside. Hummingbirds are attracted to brightly colored objects which they can confuse for blooming flowers.

An open garage door can present many colors that hummingbirds find attractive.

The emergency release handle for a garage door opener, brightly colored tools, or storage totes are often red or orange in color. Hummingbirds can mistake these household objects for colorful flower displays from a distance.

The same would be true for garden sheds and doors leading into the house.

Once they approach to investigate, they can become disoriented indoors and unable to find their way outside again.

They become disoriented because they cannot retrace their path to freedom. When enclosed indoors, hummingbirds naturally fly upwards to find an escape route.

Their instincts tell them this is the right thing to do because flying upwards when outdoors puts distance between themselves and any danger they encounter.

When trapped inside this instinct prevents them from finding an exit because they hit the ceiling instead of escaping to blue skies. Bumping against the ceiling expends their energy at a rapid rate which his dangerous for these little birds because their metabolism is extremely high.

Many hummingbirds will die of exhaustion if trapped inside for too long.

How to get a hummingbird out of a building

Here are four strategies to follow that help get a hummingbird out of a building:

One: The easiest method is to “shoo” them back outside. Simple and effective.

Two: Hummingbirds are often exhausted by the time they are discovered because they have been frantically searching for an escape. Hummingbirds trapped indoors are often receptive to a perch being offered to them because they are too tired to carry on.

Exhausted hummingbirds have been known to latch onto objects gently offered to them. Feather dusters, garden rakes, or even your hand will all encourage them to perch. Once they have landed on the perch that is offered to them, gently move them towards the entrance of the structure.

Three: Make the exit obvious to the hummingbird. Their instincts are telling them to fly upwards and their energy levels are often running very low.

Make the exit to the structure is very apparent to the hummingbird by turning off any lights, closing any other doors, covering any windows that may be confused with the actual exit, and by removing any brightly colored objects from the area.

Four: Place a bright red, fully stocked feeder close to the exit.

The hummingbird was likely drawn indoors and became trapped because they were searching for food. Providing a food source close to the exit will draw them in that direction and give them the opportunity to top up their energy reserves before moving on.

Never capture a trapped hummingbird by throwing a sheet or blanket over them. These birds are extremely delicate and even the lightest sheet can cause them harm.

Hummingbirds weigh roughly the same as two pennies (between 3 and 5 grams) so they are extremely fragile.

Tips to keep hummingbirds out of your garage or shed

Hummingbirds are very visual and are attracted to bright red and orange colors that can look like flowers. They typically come indoors because they can see these colors from outside.

Keeping your garage or shed door closed when not in use is the first place to start.  

Cover or reposition brightly colored objects so that hummingbirds cannot see them.

This would include tools (which can have colored handles), garage door openers emergency shut off handles (which usually hang very prominently in the garage door), or storage totes that are visible from outdoors.

Hummingbirds do not fly into a garage or shed everyday but knowing these little tricks will help rescue a trapped bird in the future.

What did you think of this article about getting a trapped hummingbird out of a building? Was the advice useful? Please let us know in the comments.

We have written other articles about hummingbirds. You can find some of them here:

• Are hummingbirds territorial?
• How to attract hummingbirds: Proven strategies for attracting hummingbirds to your yard
• How to keep bees away from your hummingbird feeder

Are there any specific topics you would like us to cover on Gadgets for Gardens? Let us know by reaching out through our contact page.