Hummingbirds are very interesting birds that many people love being able to observe in their yards. You might look forward to seeing the hummingbirds each year and trying to glimpse them as they move around the area so fast.
The speed at which hummingbirds flap their wings is very impressive, and it’s a sight to behold. However, many people don’t realize how vulnerable hummingbirds are when they’re young.
Baby hummingbirds have a tough road to reach maturity and be able to thrive on their own. When baby hummingbirds get left in their nest due to having their parents die, then they might not survive.
You might be tempted to try to help a baby hummingbird, but it’s not easy for a human to keep a baby hummingbird alive. There are many reasons why it might die, and you’ll have to really go to great lengths to keep it alive if you’ve committed to trying.
Keep reading to learn a bit about why baby hummingbirds might die. You’ll also hear more about how difficult it can be to keep them alive.
1 – Predators
Predators could kill baby hummingbirds very easily because of how vulnerable they are. These tiny birds aren’t going to be able to defend themselves at all from predators.
Many types of predators will eat adult hummingbirds when they’re flying too low. Snakes, some types of frogs, and even lizards will eat hummingbirds when they get an opportunity to do so.
Larger birds might also kill and eat smaller birds such as hummingbirds. Generally, it’s the aggressive types of birds that would kill hummingbirds.
There are even some hummingbird predators that you might not traditionally think of as predators. For example, squirrels, chipmunks, and blue jays have been known to eat both hummingbird eggs and babies.
This might sound horrifying to you, but that’s really how nature can be. It isn’t an easy world for baby hummingbirds, and they have a long road to go before they’ll be able to start flying and go out on their own.
2 – Accidents
Accidents can kill baby hummingbirds way more easily than you might expect. Hummingbird nests are very hard to notice, and you might accidentally take one out while doing some work in your yard.
In fact, many tree companies have accidentally killed baby hummingbirds when cutting down trees or trimming tree branches. Even when experts check the trees for nests, it’s possible that they might miss a small and discreet hummingbird nest.
You should do your best to try to watch out for hummingbird nests whenever you’re going to trim trees. It would be a shame to find out that you accidentally killed or displaced baby hummingbirds.
Even when you’re being vigilant about looking for nests, accidents will sometimes occur. You can’t beat yourself up about it too much, but you can try to do your best for the hummingbirds in the future.
3 – Improper Nutrition
Improper nutrition could either cripple or kill a baby hummingbird. When hummingbirds are only able to survive on hummingbird nectar, it’s not going to be enough to keep them going.
Sometimes a baby hummingbird will die in the nest due to there not being enough food to go around. This is certainly a sad thing, but it does happen in nature.
4 – Abandonment
A hummingbird might need to abandon its nest due to various reasons. The mother hummingbird could have been killed by a predator, but it’s hard to say what could have happened without having more details.
When a baby hummingbird has been abandoned, it’s unlikely that it’s going to survive without assistance. If the hummingbird already has feathers, then it’s likely best to let it fend for itself.
Otherwise, you could try to help it if you’re so inclined. The problem with this is that humans can often accidentally kill baby hummingbirds.
5 – Humans Not Caring for Them Properly
Humans will have a tough time caring for baby hummingbirds that have been abandoned. They can easily choke on food that you try to give them, and they might die even when you’re just trying to help them.
These birds are so tiny and delicate that it is not going to be a simple task to nurse one back to health. This is why it’s often best to try to reunite a hummingbird with its mother or to get expert help.
In some areas, there will be wildlife care experts that will be able to provide help for animals. You might be able to take a baby hummingbird to a specialist group or organization that can care for it and place it with a foster care specialist.
This is the best thing to do because someone who doesn’t have the right stuff to feed the birds won’t have a good chance of success. You need the right tools, experience, and methods to be successful when trying to save a baby hummingbird’s life.
With the chances of you being able to save a baby hummingbird so slim yourself, it’s going to be wise to try to do the best thing that you can for the bird. If there isn’t a group in your area that can help out, then you might not be able to do much yourself.
Final Thoughts
Knowing more about how vulnerable baby hummingbirds are should help you to appreciate their journey. These tiny creatures have to struggle to reach maturity, and it’s so easy for them to be killed by various things.
Baby hummingbirds have to worry about various predators that will try to eat them. They’ll also have to hope that their parents will be able to bring them enough food so that they can survive.
Accidents and human error will kill baby hummingbirds a lot as well. It isn’t uncommon at all for baby hummingbirds to get killed by tree trimmers and chainsaws due to how hard hummingbird nests can be to spot.
Yes, all of this is sad in many ways, but it’s also remarkable that so many hummingbirds survive and thrive. It helps you to appreciate the wonders of nature that much more when you dig into the details.
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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