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The
female Rufous hummingbird has been out gathering food for her nestlings.
She does this about every 30 minutes. When the chicks are very young,
she doesn't stay away for long. But now that they have feathers, they
can stay warm on their own. This means that mom can spend more time looking
for food for her growing babies!
When
a chick is young, the mother inserts her bill into its bill and pumps
a mix of insects and nectar into its gullet. Later, she starts bringing
them whole insects. Nestlings need protein from insects to grow. In fact,
when they fledge (leave the nest) at about 21 days of age, they'll weigh
more than their mother! She might continue to feed them for another few
days until they get the hang of foraging for food.
Photos
©: Damon Calderwood >
