Hummingbirds are some of the smallest birds in the world. Their tiny size allows them to hover in midair as they drink nectar from flowers, beating their wings up to 80 times per second. This makes them expert flyers that can even fly backwards!
One factor that contributes to a hummingbird’s petite stature is its size when it first hatches from an egg. Newly hatched hummingbirds weigh just 0.6 grams on average, which is lighter than a penny. Their bodies are about the size of a bumblebee.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at exactly how big a hummingbird is when it’s newly hatched. Understanding the hummingbird’s initial minute size provides insight into how these birds survive and thrive. We’ll also overview how they grow from tiny hatchlings into the fast-flying birds we know and love.
Newly Hatched Hummingbird Size
Hummingbird eggs are very small, only about the size of a coffee bean. They are white in color, oval or round-shaped, and roughly 0.5 inches long with a width of 0.25 inches. The female hummingbird lays 1-3 tiny eggs per clutch.
Once the incubation period of 14-23 days is complete, the eggs hatch and out emerge the baby hummingbirds. These hatchlings are impossibly small.
Here are some key measurements for newly hatched hummingbirds:
- Weight – 0.6 grams on average (about the weight of a paperclip)
- Length – 1.5-2 inches from tip of beak to end of tail
- Wingspan – 1-1.5 inches
To put these miniature proportions into perspective:
- A newborn human baby weighs about 7-8 pounds on average. A hummingbird hatchling weighs less than 0.02 pounds.
- A hummingbird egg is smaller than a jellybean. The chick that emerges is about the size of a bumblebee.
- Their feet are about the size of a match head.
- Their beak is shorter than a grain of rice.
The hummingbird’s teeny measurements at birth are likely an evolutionary adaptation. Their small nests high up in trees or tucked away on branches can only accommodate eggs and babies of a certain minuscule size. The petite hatchlings are also well-suited to their role of squeezing into flowers for feeding.
Appearance of Hatchlings
In addition to their tiny stature, newly hatched hummingbirds have some distinguishing physical features:
- Eyes are closed at hatching. They take 7-14 days to fully open.
- Sparse white downy feathers cover their body.
- Beak, legs, and feet are perfectly formed but on a small scale.
- Their tongues are about 0.13 inches long with a forked tip ideal for drinking nectar.
With their underdeveloped vision, inability to thermoregulate, and lack of feathers, hummingbird chicks are completely dependent on their mothers for warmth, protection, and food. Their survival depends on reaching a sufficient size and maturity level quickly.
Early Growth and Development
In their first week after hatching, hummingbird chicks remain in the nest, being fed by their mothers every few minutes. They grow feathers for insulation and put on weight rapidly.
Here is an overview of early hummingbird development:
| Age | Size and Weight | Developments |
|---|---|---|
| Hatching | 1.5-2 inches long 0.6 grams |
Eyes closed Minimal downy feathers |
| 1 week | Approximately 2.5 inches long 1-1.5 grams |
Eyes begin opening More feather growth |
| 2 weeks | 3 inches long 1.5-2 grams |
Eyes fully open Feathers fill in Begins perching at edge of nest |
| 3 weeks | 3.5 inches long 2-3 grams |
Able to fly short distances |
Within two weeks of age, the hatchling has matured from a nearly naked and helpless chick into a fledged juvenile hummingbird capable of leaving the nest. Their wings become strong enough for flight around 15 to 20 days of age. At this stage they weigh about as much as 2 to 3 paperclips.
The speed of development varies slightly across the different hummingbird species. But in general, hummingbirds have one of the quickest maturity rates among birds.
Adult Size and Dimensions
Once hummingbird fledglings leave the nest, they continue growing to reach adult size. On average, a mature hummingbird is:
- 3 to 5 inches long from bill tip to tail tip
- 6 to 13 grams in weight, compared to 0.6 grams at hatching
- 6 to 8 inch wingspan
The smallest species, the bee hummingbird, reaches between 2 and 2.5 inches long as an adult. The largest species can grow up to 8 inches long.
While adult hummingbirds are larger than new hatchlings, they are still remarkably tiny birds. Their adult weight ranges from less than a penny to about the weight of two pennies.
Some key facts about adult hummingbird dimensions:
- Their main flight muscles make up 25-30% of their total body weight in order to enable specialized hovering flight.
- Their wings beat about 50 times per second, and up to 200 times per second during courtship displays.
- Their heart rate reaches as high as 1,260 beats per minute while in flight.
- They have specially structured feathers that produce a humming sound as their wings beat swiftly.
The hummingbird’s diminutive size helps it excel at maneuverability, hovering in midair, and accessing flower nectar. Their tiny stature both enables and demands this energetic lifestyle.
Comparison of Hummingbird Sizes
There are over 300 different hummingbird species in the Americas. Here is a comparison of the adult body sizes of some common hummingbird types:
| Hummingbird Species | Size Description |
|---|---|
| Bee Hummingbird | The smallest species at 2-2.5 inches long and 2 grams in weight |
| Calliope Hummingbird | One of the smallest at 3-3.5 inches long |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird | Medium-small size of 3.5 inches long |
| Rufous Hummingbird | Medium size around 3.5-4 inches |
| Broad-tailed Hummingbird | Medium size around 4 inches |
| Magnificent Hummingbird | One of the larger species, up to 6 inches long |
The bee hummingbird holds the record as the smallest extant bird in the world. Within a single hummingbird family, their sizes can range from tiny to relatively large while maintaining a high metabolism and flight skills.
Why Are Hummingbirds so Small?
Many factors have driven the evolution of hummingbirds into such petite birds:
Energy efficiency – Their small size enables them to beat their wings rapidly with less energy required. Large wings would be cumbersome.
Heat regulation – Their high metabolism generates a lot of internal heat. Small bodies allow them to dissipate heat faster so they don’t overheat.
Flight maneuverability – With light bodies and short wingspans, hummingbirds have great aerial agility and can hover in place.
Access to food – Their long slender beaks and small heads allow them to conveniently feed on nectar at the center of flowers.
Nesting – Their tiny nests high up in trees can only accommodate very small eggs and hatchlings.
Survival – Many predators are less likely to spot and hunt smaller birds.
Evolution shaped hummingbirds for life on the wing. Remaining diminutive in size is essential to their survival. The fact that they start out so incredibly tiny as hatchlings allows them to fulfill their aerial destiny.
Finding Food While Small
One challenge for hummingbirds is that their high metabolism demands a lot of calories. How can they eat enough while staying so petite?
Strategies hummingbirds use to get sufficient nutrition include:
- Drinking nectar which offers a highly efficient source of energy.
- Eating many small meals throughout the day, returning to feeders frequently.
- Having a specially adapted tongue to lap up nectar.
- Supplementing their diet with small insects which provide protein.
- Entering a hibernation-like state at night to conserve energy.
Their small size allows them to utilize unique food sources. Nectar works well as it can be consumed in small yet frequent portions.
Raising Hatchlings When Small
Adult hummingbirds face the challenge of successfully raising tiny hatchlings while remaining very small themselves:
- The female alone cares for the chicks.
- She feeds them pre-digested food by regurgitating nectar directly into their mouths.
- This allows her to provide nutrients without having to carry large food items back to the nest.
- Females diligently feed hatchlings every 5-10 minutes from dawn to dusk.
- This frequent feeding enables fast growth so chicks quickly reach a size capable of leaving the nest.
From courtship displays to building nests high up in branches, hummingbirds have many behaviors specially adapted for their petite proportions. But perhaps most impressive is their success hatching and raising chicks that start out much tinier than their adult size.
Conclusion
Part of the intrigue of hummingbirds stems from their incredibly small size. Weighing less than a penny when newly hatched and only a few grams as adults, they are perfectly sized for a lifestyle of flight.
Key takeaways about the tiny scale of hummingbirds:
- Newly hatched chicks are about 2 inches long and 0.6 grams in weight.
- They can fly short distances within 2-3 weeks after hatching.
- Adults reach 3 to 5 inches long on average and 6 to 13 grams in weight.
- Being small allows energy efficiency, heat regulation, aerial agility, and convenient feeding.
- Their petite stature both enables and requires their speedy metabolisms and busy feeding schedules.
The next time you see a buzzing hummingbird, remember that it started out as a hatchling barely bigger than a bee! Their tiny proportions at birth and adulthood allow these energetic birds to live life on the wing.
