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Hummingbird Egg To Adult, Life Cycle Of The Hummingbird.

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In general, the life cycle of the hummingbird is not complicated, but it has impressive characteristic features. The hummingbird egg is the smallest egg in the world.

Hummingbirds are a group of numerous and colorful birds found in the Americas. These little creatures are able to live in a wide variety of ecosystems. In fact, they adapt quite well to the environment.

Hummingbirds belong to the Trochilidae family, which includes about 330 species. This group can be found in places as far as beaches, coasts, jungles, forests and mountains. However, they are also found in arid or urban environments. Read on to learn more about these beautiful birds and their way of life.

You may also want to read about bluebird eggs.

What do hummingbirds look like?

All hummingbirds are small birds that weigh between 2 and 24 grams and are characterized by the shape of their beaks and their amazing way of flapping.

Their legs are so small that they cannot even walk on the ground with them, which means they spend most of their lives flying. Moreover, most of them display iridescent plumage that is particularly attractive to the eye.

Members of this group are nectarivores, which means they feed on the nectar of flowers. For this reason, hummingbirds’ beaks are elongated and thin, because otherwise they would not be able to drink the liquid. In fact, this also makes them considered excellent pollinators, as they impregnate and transport pollen during their meals.

These birds are distinguished by their extraordinary ability to fly. In fact, they can hover in the air or fly in all directions. To accomplish this feat, they need powerful muscles, which allow them to flap 80 to 200 times per second. Thanks to this machinery, they reach speeds of between 50 and 90 kilometers per hour.

The ability to flap consumes large amounts of energy, and so their metabolism has adapted to this situation. The speed at which the hummingbird processes its nutrients is incredibly fast.

To meet its energy needs, each specimen must consume half its body weight of food per day. Also, the speed at which it metabolizes food causes it to go through body temperatures close to 40° C.

beatufil hummingbird

The role of migration in the life cycle of the hummingbird

Some species of this group exhibit migratory behavior in which they travel great distances to reach warmer regions in winter. These migrations can be very challenging for these birds.

After all, they must consume large amounts of food for the amount of energy they expend. When spring arrives, they fly back to their territories to begin their reproduction.

After all, they must consume large amounts of food for the amount of energy they expend. When spring arrives, they fly back to their territories to begin their reproduction.

An impressive example is that of the ruddy hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), as it travels about 3,500 kilometers from Alaska to southern Mexico. These trips are possible thanks to the many stopovers they make during their journey.

Reproduction of hummingbirds

Males are usually quite aggressive and territorial, so when they return from their migrations they compete with others to establish their boundaries. Usually the male of the species returns to the breeding grounds a week or two before the female, to occupy the best space and the greatest amount of resources.

courtship and mating

When the female returns from her migration in the spring, the mating season begins. During this, the male performs a showy and energetic courtship, which consists of ascending and descending flights in a U-shape in which it displays its plumage. While doing so, it also performs vocalizations and flaps as fast as possible to attract the attention of its potential mate.

The female, for her part, bases her choice on two important aspects: the characteristics of the male and the territory he occupies. It is important to the female that her food supply is secure. Both her life and that of her young depend on it. Therefore, she takes this aspect very seriously.

In general, these small birds have polygamous matings, so the male usually has several reproductive partners. Therefore, most of the upbringing and construction of the nest are tasks of the female. This is why she is so selective in choosing her mate.

Nest building

Hummingbirds are egg-laying animals that use nests to incubate their eggs. These structures are different sizes according to the species, although most are as small as a golf ball.

To make them, females use branches, leaves, cobwebs, lichens and mosses. They also choose their location (close to the ground or high in the trees).

hummingbird egg
Look at the tiny hummingbird egg.

Laying, hatching and raising hummingbird egg

The number of eggs a hummingbird can lay varies from species to species, but on average there are usually 2 per nest. The hummingbird egg is the smallest egg in the world. For her part, the incubation period ranges from 18 to 20 days, during which the female stays in the nest as long as possible.

The baby hummingbird emerge from the tiny hummingbird egg at the end of the incubation period. At that point, the mother begins feeding them nectar and insects. As with other birds, females feed their chicks by regurgitation.

The young remain in the nest while their feathers grow and until they are able to fly. This can take about 3 weeks. Once they learn to fly, the chicks begin to find their own food and begin to become independent. However, to ensure they do not starve, the mother may continue to feed them outside the nest during their first few days.

The life cycle of the adult hummingbird and its survival

Once independent, adults leave their nest and never return. A hummingbird’s first year is usually the most difficult of its life.

It will have to deal with other large and strong creatures. Nevertheless, once they leave the nest, the chances of them dying are quite low, as most deaths occur during breeding. The hummingbird egg is very fragile to.

During the hummingbird’s life cycle, this organism has to dodge a series of dangers that cause its death in the first months of life. This is why experts tell us that most hummingbirds die before they are one year old. However, the average life of a hummingbird can be 6 or 7 years (or up to 10).