Day 1: Happy Birthday!
This baby grew inside its egg for 12-14 days before finally hatching. It is exhausted after working its way out of the egg. It weighs about 0.5 grams.
Q. Why do you think the eggshell looks so thin and papery compared
to a chicken egg? (Answer under photo.)
A. Hummingbird nestlings are not known to have an "egg tooth" to help them break out of their shell. Luckily the shell is so easy to open! Perhaps the reason this egg looks so crumply is that the inner membrane's thickness was a closer match to the thickness of the shell, unlike the eggs of heavier birds— which need to stay strong under more pressure.
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