Today’s post relates to an earlier post, so I need to offer some background information for those of you who may have missed the earlier entry. The earlier post was about the fact that female hummingbirds lay their eggs on different days rather then a few minutes or hours apart. Well, I just discovered something directly related to the earlier post. As impossible as this seems, even though the eggs are laid on different days they will hatch on the same day. You re not miss reading it, I did state that the eggs will hatch on the same day! How is this possible? Well, let me explain.
The female hummingbird can insure that eggs which are laid on different days will hatch on the same day. This occurs because the mother hummingbird is able to delay the full start of the incubation process until the second egg has been laid. Doesn’t that astonish you as it did me? This is is something which my mom would have been fascinated to discover and I hope you too have enjoyed making it also.
One reply on “The Hatching of Hummingbird Eggs”
This is not too surprising… chickens and ducks have the same delayed laying and simultaneous hatching. I posted another picture of the hummer in our backyard. After reading your comment, I feel extra lucky to have spotted the nest at all!