Humming Bird Life Cycle

EGGS

• The humming bird starts off as an egg.
• The egg is about the size of a tic tac with a paper like shell.
• Most birds have an "egg tooth" but humming birds do not.
• The egg breaks when the nestling gets too big for the egg.

HATCHING

• It can take from 12-14 days for the settling to hatch.
• After they have hatched, it takes 18-22 days to develop enough to fly.
• As they are developing, they depend on their mother to feed them.
• Many humming birds do not make it their first year.

FEEDING YOUNG

• The mother feeds the young bird the food it needs
• The young humming bird depends fully on their mother.
• The hummingbird will feed the babies insects and small spiders.

FLEDGING

• The humming bird is now ready to depart from the nest.
• They learn how to fly so they can leave.
• Once they leave, they do not go back to the nest.

ADULT

• The hummingbird is now an adult.
• They are on their own until they find a mate
• The humming bird now eats insects and nectar.
• They can consume up to 50%of their weight in nectar a day.
• The humming bird can live to about 5 years old.