Birds spend their lives flying from one place to another in search of food. In rare cases, they may inadvertently become trapped in places like your garage.
The only thing on the bird’s mind at that point is to get out. Still, the bird is often oblivious to the exit it just entered through or became too scared to behave rationally.
Hummingbirds are no different. They require more energy to feed their hyperactive little bodies and may mistakenly fly into a garage after seeing a red object that would typically contain nectar.
Hummingbirds evade predators and dangerous situations by flying up. When a hummingbird flies into a garage, it is perceived as dangerous, so naturally, the bird flies upwards and traps itself.
Suppose you discover a hummingbird trapped inside your garage. In that case, you’ll require a lot of patience and ingenious methods to get it out. By following the steps below, the result should be a happy ending.
How To Get A Hummingbird Out Of Your Garage
1. Open the Doors and Windows
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The first step that you need to take is to open the garage doors and windows. This is very important because it provides multiple escape routes for the hummingbird.
Opening the doors and windows gives them the highest chance of escaping without you needing to intervene. No human contact is always better for the bird.
Ideally, the hummingbird will fly out once the doors and windows are open. That is an ideal scenario, and hummingbirds usually need to realize that such an easy escape is possible.
To increase the chance of the hummingbird flying out, you should move out of the garage and take anything that could scare the hummingbird out with you. This includes any noisy machines, pets, or other people.
2. Remove Brightly Coloured Objects
Hummingbirds are attracted to brightly colored objects, especially those that are red.
Therefore, the hummingbird probably flew into your garage because it was attracted to a red object. Now, that object is keeping the bird there.
Once you have removed any bright objects, leave the garage and give the bird time to fly out.
Since hummingbirds require so much nectar, there is no better way to attract a hummingbird than with food in a red feeder.
Now that the garage door is open, but the hummingbird is still inside, the next step is to hang a hummingbird feeder outside the exit to entice the bird to fly out.
If you don’t own a feeder, then any small, brightly colored object should work.
The thinking behind this idea is that the hummingbird will notice the bright feeder and fly out of the garage toward it.
The hummingbird won’t fly out while you’re near the feeder, so clear the area and give the hummingbird time to see the feeder and make its way out.
5. Guide the Bird Out
You should start intervening if you have yet to succeed with the steps so far.
To assist the hummingbird in finding the right direction, try guiding the bird with a broom or something similar.
Blocking the bird from flying in the wrong direction may do the trick because the bird will be forced to flee in only one direction, and that direction should be out the door.
Whatever you do, always try to not touch the hummingbird with the broom.
If you’re silent enough, you could sit, wait and hope for the bird to perch on the broom.
Then you can slowly move toward the door and take the bird outside.
Hummingbirds have tiny, delicate legs and feet, so always be careful to not force the hummingbird to perch or do anything else that may cause harm.
If the bird perches on the broom, it will probably fly off once you go outside the garage. However, the bird may only perch because it is tired or stressed.
So, in that case, don’t force the bird off the broom. But instead, leave the broom against a tree or on the ground and move away. This should give the hummingbird time to recover and eventually fly away.
Once the hummingbird is outside, close the garage doors and windows to stop the bird from flying back in.
6. Capture the Bird
By this stage, the hummingbird will probably be tired.
As a last resort, try to pick up the bird gently with your hands and move it outside.
A recommendation is to use a paper towel to cover the bird and wear gloves to protect yourself and the bird.
The best way to carry the bird out is to form a cup with your hands, gently pick up the bird, and move outside slowly. You want to hold the bird tight enough to have control but not so tight that you injure the bird.
Once outside, open your hands slowly to give the bird a flat surface to take off from. If the bird has enough energy, it should fly away within a few seconds.
In cases when that doesn’t happen, the bird may sit for a few minutes to adjust and figure out where it is. Give the bird time to relax and recover enough to take off and continue looking for precious nectar.
7. Call a Professional
Suppose you try everything to get the hummingbird out without success. In that case, the final step is to call a wildlife rehabilitation center or wildlife handler.
A hummingbird may not be significant enough for someone to drive out to assist. But still, the expert may be able to provide instructions over the phone to get the bird out after you explain your unique situation.
Most towns have an animal rescue agency that is only a call away and easy to find by searching online.
How Do You Help An Exhausted Hummingbird?
When hummingbirds fly into your garage and cannot get out, they usually fly around until they become exhausted.
In that situation, the bird needs to be rescued and cared for.
When rescuing the bird, slowly approach it and pick it up with a soft paper towel. Cover the bird’s head with a towel to keep the bird calm.
Once you have picked up the bird, place it in a cardboard box or any other small, dark place. Keep the towel over it.
Leave the bird in a quiet area for 20 to 30 minutes to recover and relax.
When the bird is calm, place a few drops of hummingbird nectar on the front of the bird’s beak to provide the bird with some energy.
The next thing to do is take the box outside to a quiet place with flowering plants and open it. The bird will probably fly away almost straight away.
If the bird is injured, then be sure to contact an animal rescue center for assistance.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds flying into garages is rare, but it is good to know what steps to take if it happens.
Hummingbirds can easily make their way out of your garage when they are given exit routes by opening doors and windows.
If the hummingbird doesn’t exit by itself, try to lure it out using a red feeder placed outside the garage door.
When the hummingbird has been safely freed from your garage, make sure to find out where the bird entered from and close the gap to stop it from getting back in.
If the hummingbird is exhausted, pick it up softly with cupped hands and allow it time to recover in a dark, quiet place.
If the hummingbird is sick or injured, then contact an animal rescue center immediately.
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Tristan is a South African biologist, photographer, and birder. From a young age, he developed a passion for the outdoors, being taught basic biology and shown animals in their natural habitat. He picked up photography at age 11, and it led him into the world of birding and exploring. He has traveled throughout South Africa, documenting over 630 bird species. He is also interested in amphibians, reptiles, insects, and some plants. He uses photography to document his experiences and has had his photographs appear in African Birdlife magazine. Tristan holds an Advanced Scuba Diving qualification and has dived on many coral reefs. He completed his honours degree in Biological Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. He is also a writer, expressing and sharing his emotions from his experiences through his writing, combined with photographs.
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