Two babies, one devoted mother
Barbara Stevens took this photo in the Tehachapi Valley of an Anna’s Hummingbird nest with two nestlings who are about to fledge. The babies left the nest the following day.
Anna’s Hummingbirds (Calypte anna) are by far the most common species of hummingbird found in the Tehachapi Mountains, and they are the primary species found nesting here.
When it comes to raising young, hummingbirds are always single moms — the male role is limited to fertilizing the female, and after that, it’s all up to her. A female hummingbird builds her cute cryptic nest all by herself, then she lays two eggs, incubates them for about 16 days without any assistance, and then once the eggs hatch, she feeds the two nestlings for about another 20 days until they fledge.
Anna’s Hummingbirds
build a soft nest that is about an inch tall and one and one-half inches in diameter. These nests often resemble a gray, hollowed out cotton ball. The busy female collects plant down and gathers spider silk from spider webs, and combines them to felt together a nest, sitting in the middle as she builds up the rim of the cup nest.
To help conceal her nest, the mother hummingbird will often attach camouflaging elements to the outside, like bits of lichen, moss and other plant material. If a hummingbird builds her
nest on a human structure, like a vintage hanging outdoor sign, she might even gather flakes and chips of nearby old paint to stick on the sides of the nest.
The Nuwä (Kawaiisu or Southern Paiute) word for hummingbird is muutanapizhi, pronounced moo-tah-nah-PIZH-eh, and it literally means “just a little man.”
NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: editorial@tehachapinews.com.