What Does a Baby Hummingbird Look Like?
Young hummingbirds start showing up at hummingbird feeders in July as their mothers teach them how to search for food. Hummingbirds leave the nest a couple weeks after they hatch. By the time these baby birds show up at your feeder, they are the same size as the adults and often weigh a little more then the adult female. Young hummingbirds, both males and females, look very similar to the adult female hummingbird. The plumage in some young birds may be a little duller then the adult. As young male ruby-throated hummingbirds mature, a few red feathers will begin to show up on their throats.
So, how can you tell if you are seeing a baby hummingbird? Behavior is the best clue. Young hummingbirds often appear clueless when they are at hummingbird feeders - they seem to try to feed from every part of the feeder except the actual feeding hole! Nestmates tend to be fairly tolerant of each other, too. Hummingbirds sitting peacefully on the same perch are likely young birds.
People often confuse an insect known as Hummingbird Moths for baby hummingbirds. Hummingbird Moths belong to a large group of daytime-flying moths known as the Sphynx moths. There are several different species of Hummingbird Moths, but all look and act very similar to hummingbirds. They feed from nectar-bearing plants (and sometimes hummingbird feeders) while hovering like a hummingbird. When their proboscis (the long feeding appendage of butterflies and moths) is extended, it resembles the beak of a hummingbird. Hummingbird Moths are very tolerant of people, too, exhibiting the same fearlessness as hummingbirds.
Both hummingbirds and hummingbird moths are a fun sight to see in your yard. Enjoy them this summer!
