Facebook | Bianca Caroline Soares

Clever Hummingbird Mom Builds Nest With Leaf Roof To Keep Out The Rain

Birds have always had a fairly good reputation as parents, especially in the careful building of nests to protect their eggs and chicks.

It probably takes a lot of careful searching to find a good spot for a nest, one that's safe from predators and weather. It's not always possible to get that perfect location.

Hummingbirds make tiny little nests, which probably has its own pros and cons.

Flickr | David Assmann

The tiny nests can fit almost anywhere, but hummingbirds don't build them in boxes or other man-made nooks and crannies.

Instead, they choose a branch in a tree or shrub, where the nest will look a lot like a bump on the bark.

Often, the nests are hard to spot, but conservationist Bianca Caroline Soares has become pretty good at finding them in the jungles of Paraguay.

Facebook | Bianca Caroline Soares

In an interview with The Dodo, she said that she'd seen five different nests on the day she snapped a couple of very special pictures.

One of the nests was balanced on a shoot of new growth, with a single leaf popping up to create the cutest roof ever.

Facebook | Bianca Caroline Soares

The leaf is just big enough to provide shade for the little hummingbird mom and her eggs.

And it must have worked perfectly, because a later trip into the jungle had a fresh surprise: babies!

Facebook | Bianca Caroline Soares

The little roof was even still standing strong.

A few minutes later, Soares saw the little ones take off for what might have been their first flight.

h/t: The Dodo