Hummingbirds are the smallest birds in the North America. The smallest species therein is the Calliope hummingbird, measuring a mere 2.8- 3.5 inches, including tail.
If the mother birds are that tiny, how small must be a hummingbird's nest and eggs?
Some hummingbird nests are cup-shaped and some cone-shaped. Some females use bark for decoration; other species create a downy nest like cotton candy. The nests average just 2 inches across. The upper edge flares outward so it forms a tight seal when the mother sits on it.
A hummingbird's egg is about 15 times smaller than a hen's egg. The elliptical eggs usually measure less than a half-inch across and weigh less than a gram. By contrast, the egg of an ostrich is about 6 1/2 inches long and weighs 1,400 grams. Given the size of the mother, hummingbird eggs are proportionately large. The eggs may weigh 10-20 percent of the mother, while larger birds average 2-4 percent.
Hummingbirds nearly always lay two eggs in their tiny nests. The babies stay in the nest about 21 days -- at which time they are nearly as large as the mother. A 2-inch-diameter nest with two babies jammed into it with the mom on the edge ,struggling to feed them is a very comical sight.
If the mother birds are that tiny, how small must be a hummingbird's nest and eggs?
Some hummingbird nests are cup-shaped and some cone-shaped. Some females use bark for decoration; other species create a downy nest like cotton candy. The nests average just 2 inches across. The upper edge flares outward so it forms a tight seal when the mother sits on it.
A hummingbird's egg is about 15 times smaller than a hen's egg. The elliptical eggs usually measure less than a half-inch across and weigh less than a gram. By contrast, the egg of an ostrich is about 6 1/2 inches long and weighs 1,400 grams. Given the size of the mother, hummingbird eggs are proportionately large. The eggs may weigh 10-20 percent of the mother, while larger birds average 2-4 percent.
Hummingbirds nearly always lay two eggs in their tiny nests. The babies stay in the nest about 21 days -- at which time they are nearly as large as the mother. A 2-inch-diameter nest with two babies jammed into it with the mom on the edge ,struggling to feed them is a very comical sight.
