During the month of August you may be seeing more hummingbirds in your gardens and at your feeders. You might enjoy some fun facts about their development from eggs to fledglings. Something to think about as you watch them flit through your yard.

• Nests are about the size of ½ of a ping pong ball.

• Hummingbirds normally lay two eggs.
• The eggs are the size of a jelly bean, and weigh 1 gram.
• Eggs are laid over a few days. Incubation begins when all the eggs are laid and will hatch at the same time.
• The female is solely responsible for looking after the eggs and nestlings. The male’s duty is only in the mating and then he moves on to the next female.
• Eggs will hatch in about 2 weeks.
• Hatchlings weigh less than a dime, and cannot stand as their feet are so small.
• It will take 3 weeks to grow a full set of feathers.
• At 2 weeks old, the nestlings will begin exercising their wings to prepare for their first flight.
• Mom will feed them a high protein diet of spiders, mosquitoes, gnats and other bugs to help them develop strong bones and beaks. Nectar is needed to provide them with high energy. Chicks need to be fed every 20 minutes.
• Chicks will stay in the nest for 3-4 weeks until they’re strong enough to fend for themselves. They may leave the nest for short flights but will return.
• When they are fully developed they will not return to the nest.
• Fledglings weigh approximately 4.5 grams when they set out of the nest. Mom’s weight will drop to 2.5 grams at this time from the stress of looking after the young.
• Mom will stay close by for 10 days, leading them to the best food sources.
• Young male hummingbirds will look like females. They will start to grow a few red feathers on their throats by the end of the summer and will have their full red gorget during their first winter.
• Young hummingbirds are very curious. I had one check out the red flowers on my dress this week. A close encounter of the hummingbird kind!
• Siblings may stay together until autumn when they will separate and go their own ways.
• Mating will begin for them at the ripe age of 1!

I hope you found these facts interesting! Enjoy watching these little gems over the next two months. Leave your feeders out until mid-October for hummers migrating from our northern regions.

Happy Birding!

Jane Paradis

Brand Ambassador

Urban Nature Store