The Hummingbird Nest

(click on a photo to enlarge)

On May 23 friends (and neighbors) invited me to photograph a hummingbird that was constructing a nest on one of the light fixtures that hang from their covered patio. Naturally I didn’t waste any time getting there because hummingbird nests are pretty hard to come by — this was a unique opportunity.

We have at least three pair of Black-chinned Hummingbirds (Archilochus alexandri) that visit our feeders and no matter how hard I try to follow a female’s flight path when she leaves, I haven’t found any nest sites. Black-chinneds are the only hummers I’ve seen up here since the spring migrants passed through and that is the species building the nest on our friend’s light fixture. Here she is putting the finishing touches on her nest of plant material held together with spider webs and decorated with lichens.

Black-chinned Hummingbird Adding to Her Nest

Did you notice her yellow throat? That’s not the usual color for any North American hummingbird species. This bird must have been visiting flowers that stained her throat yellow. I’d never seen this before until a day or two later when one of my own females was nectaring at the Hesperaloe. Her throat was even more yellow! The mystery still remains as to what flowers the hummers were visiting that would cause this coloration. Certainly not the tiny Hesperaloe flowers. Not much else was blooming at the time except Soapberry Yucca and upon examination of those flowers, it was obvious that there was no yellow pollen in them.

“Yellow-throated” Black-chinned Hummingbird

I returned to photograph the nest on 6/14 and found the female sitting. The two eggs had recently hatched and she was on and off the nest a lot although I didn’t actually see her doing any feeding. Mostly featherless, the nestlings can’t thermo-regulate yet but it was pretty hot out so the female didn’t need to spend much time at this job. Notice that her pollen-stained throat is fading.

Keeping the Nestlings Warm

My last visit was ten days later and I found the young hummingbirds, now at least two weeks old, quickly outgrowing their home. Their bills were elongating and they appeared alert and eager to feed when the female arrives (male hummingbirds have nothing to do with raising their young).

The Nestlings

I noticed that they didn’t make a sound when the female came to feed them unlike other nestling passerines. They just opened their bills and waited.

Begging for a Meal

Food Delivery of Small Insects

That Looks Like It Might Hurt!

After feeding the two nestlings, there was a moment of contemplation before the female took off in search of another meal. Records show that Black-chinned Hummingbirds are in the nest for three weeks before they fledge which would make them flying free by now.

Done Feeding

Published by Arlene Ripley on July 3rd, 2009 Tagged Arizona, Birds, Cochise County, Nature

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