Last Updated on October 4, 2022 by Guillermina
How long do hummingbirds sit on their eggs? Check this article and discover many interesting details about the life of these amazing flying creatures.
A mother’s work never ends. This is as true for humans as it is for animals. Accordingly, hummingbirds are no different. It is the female who does all the work, builds the nest, lays the eggs, and raises and feeds the baby chicks until they are strong enough to fly out of the nest on their own.
We know that these smallest birds in the world build the smallest nests in the world. We have learned a lot so far, but have you ever wondered how long do hummingbirds sit on their eggs? Let’s find out together!
How Long Do Hummingbirds Sit On Their Eggs?
If you thought you had discovered all the interesting facts about these birds by now, we think you are wrong. Here are the new ones. Namely, did you know that the female hummingbird will lay only 2 eggs, and what is somehow the most interesting, not both at the same time?
Imagine having a twin brother or sister who was born a few days after you, but remember that you were both in your mother’s womb at the same time. Well, this is literally the same situation. These hummers are really amazing, aren’t they?
So, to continue, the female first lays one egg, the size of which is no bigger than a pea or a coffee bean, and she lays the second egg only tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. It is very important to note that the incubation process starts only when the second egg is laid, not before that, because otherwise the chick/eggs won’t hatch at the same time.
What an experience it is to have the opportunity to see live the egg of the smallest bird in the world. They are so tiny and perfectly white and weigh much less than the smallest coin. After she lays them, the eggs are placed in their new home – the nest, where they will patiently wait for the right time for the chicks to see the light of day.
In order for all her efforts to bear fruit, it is necessary to maintain the optimal temperature of the eggs, which is between 96 and 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. It is very important to maintain the optimum temperature because if it exceeds the upper limit, you can guess what can happen.
Accordingly, the mother will try to regularly turn the eggs with her beak to ensure an even distribution of heat; she will repeat the process several times a day.
Based on the recordings of the cameras that the experts placed near different hummingbird nests so that they could see what was happening up close, we managed to find out that the mother sits on the eggs for about 50 minutes every hour.
What does she do with the remaining 10 minutes? She goes out to feed herself and makes sure she doesn’t go too far so that the little ones don’t get too cold.
Why Do You Never See Baby Hummingbirds?
Now that you know the answer to the question: “how long do hummingbirds sit on their eggs”, let us introduce you to some more interesting facts related to these amazing creatures. Ready, set, goo!
Honestly, until we started some deeper research, we wondered how it was even possible that we have the opportunity to see these birds so often, but not their nests. Then when we found out what the right answer was, we weren’t the least bit surprised.
It’s very simple, the smallest birds in the world build very, very, very small nests that are also very well camouflaged, to the extent that they are almost impossible to find.
Do Hummingbirds Use The Same Nest Twice?
Just like many other species of birds, hummingbirds can have multiple broods each year, some species do it only once, but there are more of them that can do it at least 2 times a year.
Furthermore, they don’t tend to build particularly strong or durable nests. Nests are mostly made of a series of things, connected by spider webs. Therefore, they aren’t suitable to be used year after year.
Do Hummingbirds Sit On Their Eggs At Night?
Once the eggs hatch, the mother refuses to be away from her little babies for the next few weeks. Accordingly, she is there for 50 minutes every hour and takes only 10 minutes for her needs. Besides sitting all day long, she even sits on eggs all night.
She does everything in her power to hatch two beautiful and healthy birds from those two small perfectly white eggs.
Do Hummingbirds Leave Eggs Unattended?
There are rare occasions when pigeons leave their eggs unattended but still can happen. It is very rare for the mother to leave the nest for an excessively long time. If you notice that the mother is gone for more than a few hours, she probably won’t come back, maybe something bad happened to her.
Furthermore, mothers most often leave their newly laid eggs for three basic reasons, to eat, drink or take a bathroom break. In some species of birds, the father takes care of the young babies while the mother is away, but not in hummingbirds. They just don’t have that kind of relationship.
That’s it, now you know how long do hummingbirds sit on their eggs.
To Wrap Up
Mothers really are amazing, aren’t they? In hummingbird species, mothers are so persistent and full of love that they sit on the eggs for between 14 and 18 days, while in colder regions the case is somewhat different and the process can take up to 21 days.
So, did you know how long do hummingbirds sit on their eggs before reading this article? Let us know in the comments.
Related article: Differences Between Male And Female Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds / The Top 3 Categories For Distinguishing These Two Sexes
