Fall migration brings an increase in incidents of hummingbirds getting trapped in garages. The birds are attracted to the bright red emergency release handles on garage door openers and often get confused and frightened once inside the garage. Many exhaust themselves and die before finding an escape route.
To prevent this from happening, wrap the handle in tape of a less hummingbird-attractive bright color such as fluorescent blue, green, or yellow (not orange or hot pink).
To rescue a trapped hummingbird:
1. Open the garage doors as wide as possible and keep people and pets out of the space and away from the exit. Any windows should be darkened by closing the blinds or curtains or covering them with a blanket or other light-blocking material. Turn off artificial lighting.
2. Fill a hummingbird feeder with a solution of 4 parts water to one part white sugar and place it near the spot the bird is spending the most time in its attempts to escape. If you don't own a feeder, one can be purchased for less than $10 from many discount, hardware, grocery, and drug stores. Feeders with large areas of red are best for this task.
3. Watch from a discrete distance until the bird notices the feeder and takes at least a couple of drinks (this will help replenish its energy and buy you time to accomplish the rescue).
4. Slowly and quietly reenter the space and move the feeder a few feet toward an exit, waiting until the bird uses the feeder again to be sure it's following. Repeat this until the feeder is within 3 to 4 feet of the exit.
5. If the bird doesn't notice the exit and escape during one of the steps above, hang the feeder in the doorway or just outside, visible from the bird's preferred perch. Once the bird comes down to drink again, it should continue outside to safety.