What’s This Post About?
Watching baby hummingbirds can be an enjoyable experience. Hummingbirds are common and admirable creatures, welcomed in the backyards of people. The fascinating abilities of these species fascinate bird enthusiasts.
Hummingbirds tend to migrate annually, which is why witnessing the growing babies is a rare sight to see.
This post consists of 12 pictures of baby hummingbirds and all the essential information and facts that should be known.
Baby hummingbirds are the size of a raisin when they are born. They are covered with a pinkish brown layer of skin with no feathers. They have bright black round eyes and a soft beak that develops further with time. It is later on when they start developing feathers and other prominent features.
What Do Hummingbird Eggs Look Like?
Before looking at the hatched babies, let's talk about hummingbird eggs and what they look like.
Hummingbird eggs are very tiny, the same size as a coffee bean, jellybean, or tic tac. Just like many other birds, hummingbirds also lay oval-shaped white eggs.
The white eggs that the hummingbirds lay may range from 0.5 to 0.6 inches in length and approximately 0.3 inches in breadth. The weight of an egg is usually 1/50th of an ounce.
Here are some pictures of hummingbird eggs that you can use if you are trying to identify eggs that belong to a hummingbird.
Interesting Fact
Female hummingbirds lay only two eggs per nest and incubate them for 15 to 18 days.
How Long Does It Take for A Hummingbird’s Egg to Hatch?
The time it takes for a hummingbird baby to be born.
It takes approximately two weeks for a hummingbird’s egg to hatch. The North American hummingbirds breed two clutches in the summer months, which consist of two eggs.
The female hummingbird is responsible for making the nest and taking care of the eggs. The females usually stay in the nest while the male hummingbird defends it and brings food to the female birds.
The eggs take up to 2 weeks to hatch, and then the babies stay in the nest for another three weeks.
After the babies have left the nest, they are fed by their mother for a few more days, after which they are left alone to take care of themselves.
Fun Fact
Young hummingbirds leave the nest after 18 to 27 days of hatching.
How Can We Identify a Baby Hummingbird?
To differentiate the hummingbird babies from other baby birds, you need to identify their features.
Hummingbird babies are tiny, pinkish-black chicks. Their eyes are closed, and they do not have any feathers on their body initially.
Baby hummingbirds do not resemble their parents at all when they are in their initial stages. They are tiny and dependent on food and shelter.
You can identify a baby hummingbird by the following features:
Female hummingbirds are usually responsible for taking care of the baby. They need to feed the babies and protect them till the babies are ready to leave the nest.
How To Describe a Hummingbird’s Nest?
The nest-building process of a hummingbird is a pleasant sight to see.
The female hummingbird is responsible for building the nest. Their nests are like the shape of a cup with different types of materials involved. The materials used in nest building are as follows:
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Small pieces of lichens and mosses
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Cotton fibers
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Small-sized leaves and barks
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Feathers
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Animal fur, hair, or fuzz from leaves
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Spider silk
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Pant down from cattails, dandelions, and thistles
The materials listed above are then combined in a cup form. The edge of the cup is curved inwards to protect the eggs from falling out.
The spider silk is then used to bind the nest together and give it elasticity to grow as the hatchlings grow in size.
Pro-Tip
If you want hummingbirds to nest in your yard, you can lay out similar materials to smoothen the process.
What Steps Should Be Taken If a Hummingbird Baby Is Found?
If you find a hummingbird baby outside the nest, here is what you should do.
Baby hummingbirds are not seen that often. This is because babies do not leave the nest and are dependent on their parents until they transition into an adult. If you see a baby bird outside the nest, do not scare it away. You can watch it from a distance or put it back in the nest gently.
There are a few instances where you may discover a baby hummingbird out of its nest. First, let’s talk about the ideal time for a baby hummingbird to leave the nest.
Fledglings
When baby hummingbirds grow older than 14 days, they have transitioned into fledglings. At this stage, the babies are ready for their first flight. They move out of the nest to live their own independent life.
The baby fledglings at this stage may weigh 4.5 grams which is more than what their mother weighs. After leaving the nest, fledglings are fed by their mothers for an additional ten days.
After these ten days, the fledglings are left to find food and build their life independently. This is when you may start seeing hummingbirds out of their nests as an adult.
Fun Fact
The mother hummingbirds lose weight and weigh less than the fledgling (2.5 grams) due to the stress of raising the baby.
Tips To Consider
If the baby you see outside the nest has not fully developed, then there are a few precautionary measures that you can take, ensuring that the baby hummingbird is not harmed.
The first thing you should do is, observe the baby bird from a distance.
Watch the bird for a while to see if one of the parents comes to its rescue. If not, then try to locate its nest, pick it up gently, and put it back in the nest.
When the baby hummingbird is out of its nest, it may be in danger from other animals or predators that may kill it.
If the nest is not visible, you may set the bird in the fork or crook of the tree to protect the baby bird. The parents may reach out to the babies when they spot them.
To read more about what you should do in a similar situation, read the post about hummingbirds on the floor.
If you see an injured hummingbird there is no need to panic. There are some steps you can take to nurse it back to health!
Fun Fact
The baby hummingbirds can call out to their parents in case of emergency or for any kind of help.
Reasons Why Hummingbird Babies May Be Outside the Nest
When a baby hummingbird grows feathers and is learning how to fly, it might travel to your backyard in search of food and water.
You can hang hummingbird feeders in your backyard to provide them with a place to perch on while they consume nectar.
Round shaped with 10 feeding ports to satisfy multiple hungry hummingbirds at once
If the birds are seen struggling on the ground, then there might be various other reasons for them being outside the nest. The reasons may be as follows:
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They may be learning how to fly
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Initial flight stages may lead to them taking breaks hopping on the ground, or hanging on branches
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Some babies may be blown out of the nest post strong winds or a windstorm.
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Another bird may have toppled it over
Pro-Tip
If you cannot find the baby’s nest, try to keep it somewhere safe and warm.
Keep Reading!
Watching a nest full of hummingbird babies can be very heartwarming at times. You may build your yard in a way that encourages the hummingbirds to settle there and make a nest on one of your trees.
This may help you observe and photograph the hummingbird baby’s growing process. This post consists of different pictures showing what baby hummingbirds look like and facts about them.
Read my post if you are interested to know more about birds in general and what fruits or seeds you should spread out in your yard to attract them.
Are you a bird lover but struggle with what fruits to feed backyard birds? Well keep on reading and you learn our tips to attract them.
By
David A. Swanson
Bird Watching USA
My name is David and I'm the the founder of Bird Watching USA! I started Bird Watching with My father-in-law many years ago, and I've become an addict to watching these beautiful creatures. I've learnt so much over about bird watching over the years that I want to share with the world everything I know about them!
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