Day 12B: No Squabbling Here

Some baby birds squabble and bicker. Baby hawks and herons sometimes even hurt each other. But not hummingbirds!

Q: Why don't baby hummingbirds bicker as some other baby birds do? (Answer below photo.)



A. Bickering takes energy, and makes it easier for predators to notice a nest. Nestlings that fight usually belong to species that hunt for limited food. When a mother hawk catches a mouse, she might not catch another for several hours, or even a whole day. So if the most aggressive baby gets the food, it is more likely to survive than the meeker babies. But hummingbird mothers are sure to find enough food for both their babies, so there's no need for the babies to waste energy arguing.

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