Rescued ‘jelly bean-sized’ baby hummingbirds being cared for by SPCA
Birds are often brought into the SPCA Monterey County after being blown from trees or when trees and shrubs are trimmed. (SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center)
SALINAS, Calif. - With the approach of spring, comes the peak of hatching season for many bird species in California. It’s also around this time wildlife care workers see an uptick in displaced baby birds.
The SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday announced it is caring for three "jelly bean-sized" rescued baby hummingbirds.
"Some of the first babies to arrive every year are hummingbirds," the non-profit said in a news release. "They come to us after being blown from trees during storms or when the trees and shrubs they are nesting in are trimmed," officials explained.
The animal care agency said it always strives to reunite the baby birds with their parents. However, "sometimes the baby is in too critical a condition or it is simply not safe to do so," officials said.
What we know:
Two of the rescued birds arrived on Feb. 24 and are estimated to be less than a month old.
Officials said while people who come upon these tiny creatures may want to try and help the nestlings by feeding them, they urge people to refrain.
Every spring, the SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center rescues hundreds of baby birds. (SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center)
"Recently, two of the rescued babies had finders who attempted to feed them sugar water. It took weeks to carefully remove the crusty, crystalized sugar from her feathers. Even just one day of the wrong diet could injure or kill a rescued wild baby," officials said.
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The third bird arrived on Sunday, after a resident noticed hummingbirds flying around as they were clipping bushes.
The person stopped to make sure there was no nest, examined the clippings and that’s when they indeed found a nest and a tiny bird. But the bird's parents would not return.
"Thankfully, they brought the baby to us for care," officials said.
Experts believe the bird had just hatched either that Sunday or the previous day.
Hummingbirds' status
Officials said the birds are doing great.
"One of the two older ones is starting to fly and hover feed, and the other one will likely start flying soon. We were able to remove all the crystallized sugar from the oldest hummingbird baby," SPCA Monterey County spokesperson Beth Brookhouser explained to KTVU.
The second bird still had some residual sugar on it, but wildlife officials were working to carefully remove the rest of it.
Hummingbird nestlings are about the size of a jelly bean and weigh about 1/3 the weight of a dime, SPCA officials said. (SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center)
The third bird is also getting stronger but still being held in an incubator and being fed every 45 minutes.
"The little jelly bean-sized nestling now weighs 0.76 grams," Brookhouser shared, adding, "He is active, alert, and growing by the day."
He’s also starting to grow feathers, though the bird’s eyes remain closed, and he still hasn't developed the hummingbird's "trademark" pointed beak, an important feature to help the birds efficiently extract nectar from flowers.
The hatchling is expected to remain in the care of SPCA Monterey County for at least another month before he’s released into the wild.
The two older ones are expected to be released back into the wild in the next couple of weeks.
What you can do:
Officials said the public can prevent creating orphaned birds by avoiding trimming trees and shrubs during baby bird season. Many bird species nest from March through August, according to the Monterey Audubon Society.
"Hummingbird nests are tiny, about the size of a walnut or a golf ball. Because of this, they are almost impossible to see when trimming trees or shrubs," SPCA Monterey County said, adding, "Hummingbird nestlings are even tinier, about the size of a jelly bean, and weigh about 1/3 the weight of a dime."
The agency said rescued baby songbirds start arriving to its facility for care in April.
Every year, SPCA Monterey County rescues more than 2,500 injured or orphaned wild animals, the nonprofit said.
Hummingbird nests measure about the size of a walnut or a golf ball, SPCA officials said. (SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center)
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