A big view on little birds

Hummingbirds hover like helicopters

Andrew c/ Wikipedia / CC

Hummingbirds are among the smallest birds of the air, but they have a big presence on the webcam above.

Hummingbird hover

Look at the monitor above. It’s a live feed from the nest of a wild female channel island hummingbird named Phoebe. Located in a rose bush, it’s no larger than a golf ball and is made from feathers, leaves and other plant parts. It’s all held together with spider webs.

Eggs that Phoebe lays are the size of a breath mint (tic-tac). They hatch after about 17 days from when they are laid.

The chicks will continue to grow in the nest for about three to four weeks before fledging. She has been laying four to five clutches each year for several years.

Click here for more information about Phoebe's hatches, camera set-up and more.

If you're lucky, you might just see Phoebe hover in and feed her baby chicks.

What do you think about seeing these little creatures? Do you have a hummingbird story of your own? Share your thoughts about hummingbirds with other museum visitors by typing in comments below.

Anonymous's picture
Anonymous says:

necter

posted on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 12:10pm
addi's picture
addi says:

do hummingbirds abandon their nests if some one touchs

posted on Fri, 05/17/2013 - 11:02am
anonymous person's picture
anonymous person says:

i wonder how many humming birds can fit in 1 nest and how long they live for! if you know the awnser please reply.
never going to know me,
anonimous person.

posted on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 11:55am
jenna gregory's picture
jenna gregory says:

because they have a long slim beak'p

posted on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 11:07am
maggie's picture
maggie says:

huming bird flap there 75 imes per second.

posted on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 12:00pm
Ashtyn Schneberger's picture
Ashtyn Schneberger says:

What do humming birds eat?

posted on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 12:55pm
Daneka's picture
Daneka says:

Hummingbirds eat seeds, sugar water, and juice!!!

Your Welcome!

posted on Thu, 05/16/2013 - 10:12am
Caitlin's picture
Caitlin says:

They eat nector some times and small bugs (:

posted on Wed, 05/15/2013 - 9:59am
tabitha's picture
tabitha says:

necter

posted on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 1:02pm
anijah's picture
anijah says:

I think that birds are family to us too! LIKE TOTALLY!

posted on Sat, 05/11/2013 - 5:23pm
 TYLER LEPPI's picture
TYLER LEPPI says:

HOW MANY BIRDS CAN FIT IN ! NEST

posted on Sat, 05/11/2013 - 3:28pm
jack and ryan's picture
jack and ryan says:

why can two hummingbirds sit in one nest

posted on Fri, 05/10/2013 - 10:51am
Izach's picture
Izach says:

Because they are so small

posted on Fri, 05/10/2013 - 12:58pm
jordan's picture
jordan says:

why do the huming birds have long beacks and why do they like honey

posted on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 11:31am
Haley 's picture
Haley says:

My aunts house has a lot of bird feeders there and one of the most come in birds is the hummingbird and it is the most interesting bird to look.

posted on Thu, 05/09/2013 - 12:29pm
marcos da silva's picture
marcos da silva says:

If you ask me, the nest cam is the best idea ever.

posted on Sat, 05/04/2013 - 2:06pm
suger punch's picture
suger punch says:

they look hungry.

posted on Wed, 05/08/2013 - 2:22pm
ekc12's picture
ekc12 says:

we have a family of birds that come and nest on our roof every year. we can see them from our bathroom window!!

posted on Fri, 05/03/2013 - 7:02pm
Minika W.'s picture
Minika W. says:

How long can a hummingbird live?

posted on Fri, 05/03/2013 - 2:37pm
cree and catherine 's picture
cree and catherine says:

she suffucating her chicks. or pooping on them? not quite sure. this has been going on for 10 minutes now....OH MY GOSH SHE LEFT. ill model myparenting after her.

posted on Fri, 04/26/2013 - 9:37am
eman's picture
eman says:

birds are beautiful and dashing! and also shes not pooping on them.....

posted on Wed, 05/01/2013 - 12:19pm
crystal's picture
crystal says:

it is just so cute.just seeing a mother feeding and siting on her hatched babies.it is so weired.just siting on her hatched

posted on Thu, 04/25/2013 - 4:06pm
lillian mary's picture
lillian mary says:

in school we watch eagles. Its nice to see hummingbirds for a change. They're facinating. I like their bright colors! :)

posted on Sun, 04/21/2013 - 4:46pm
brett juleff's picture
brett juleff says:

in my school we have a hawk on one of are light poles on the football field

posted on Fri, 04/26/2013 - 11:56am
Gabriel Everson's picture
Gabriel Everson says:

They breathe so fast and I hope they arent cold

posted on Sun, 04/21/2013 - 1:01pm
Anonymous's picture
Anonymous says:

How long do the hummingbird egges tack to hach

posted on Sat, 05/04/2013 - 12:52pm
lilly  lokowich's picture
lilly lokowich says:

they are very small and they eat necture and bugs and they are very fast.

posted on Sat, 04/20/2013 - 3:54pm
caitlin's picture
caitlin says:

with out birds, our world is boring with no music in the morning:(

posted on Sat, 04/20/2013 - 2:37pm
Lucas Kroll's picture
Lucas Kroll says:

In Brazil where I'm from there are humming birds everywhere

posted on Thu, 04/18/2013 - 10:50am
zspeed19's picture
zspeed19 says:

humingbirds are cool little hyper birds. their heart rate must be very fast. maybe just a drone!!!

posted on Thu, 04/18/2013 - 10:06am
jocelyn<3dwaynejohnson's picture
jocelyn<3dwaynejohnson says:

poor eggs arent they cold where is there mom? :(

posted on Sat, 04/13/2013 - 5:00pm
CCHI's picture
CCHI says:

their mom is just out getting them some food, she'll be back in a jiffy

posted on Wed, 04/17/2013 - 9:39am
mayla's picture
mayla says:

i love humming birds! there so cool! i think its cool on how fast they flap thier wings! :)

posted on Fri, 04/12/2013 - 10:05am
Jane K's picture
Jane K says:

So patient! How does she get food?

posted on Thu, 04/11/2013 - 9:27pm
andrew's picture
andrew says:

the eggs are really small

posted on Sun, 04/14/2013 - 1:44pm
e's picture
e says:

she is very quick and you cant see her

posted on Sun, 04/14/2013 - 12:03pm
lauren's picture
lauren says:

she gets foood by eating the food yu give her ...

posted on Sat, 04/13/2013 - 10:19am
Lucie!'s picture
Lucie! says:

Humming Birds are one of my favorite birds. Although they are small, they can be very vicious. They are the only type of birds who can dive diagonal!!!!

posted on Sun, 04/07/2013 - 3:47pm
trisha's picture
trisha says:

humming birds are a very interesting little thinger to study. They have very good bone structure, but also are annoying and eat all my dang flowers. :( #whitegirlprobs

posted on Tue, 04/09/2013 - 11:12am
awesomness's picture
awesomness says:

if youo can see their wings you can see which way the seams are moving one a baseball when it its pitched to you

posted on Sun, 04/07/2013 - 12:05pm
enderawsome's picture
enderawsome says:

my favorite humming bird is the ruby throated hummingbird I love them most of all because of the color

posted on Sun, 04/07/2013 - 10:38am
gabbi's picture
gabbi says:

one time i took care of a baby annas humming bird.His name was Shaggy.My mom had found him in our garden.We kept him for about a month. He had a broken wing.We constantly feed him humming bird food through a Capri Sun straw,about every 5 minutes.He was absolutley adorable.The local shelter wouldnt take him.

posted on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 5:27pm
ryley's picture
ryley says:

what do male humingbirds look like?

posted on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 4:01pm
my name is kiararrrrrrrrararara's picture
my name is kiararrrrrrrrararara says:

my gramma loves bireds andwhen i go to her home we look and feed all the bired it is fun

posted on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 1:40pm
Collin's picture
Collin says:

Did you know they can fly backwards!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

posted on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 12:02pm
carson's picture
carson says:

it looks like it had a bunch of caffeine

posted on Sat, 04/06/2013 - 12:01pm
Carly Baumer's picture
Carly Baumer says:

We see hummingbirds at the cabin in Grand Rapids, Minnesota every summer. Their wings fly fast and I have seen them fly backwards.

posted on Fri, 04/05/2013 - 3:04pm
diamondfoxes's picture
diamondfoxes says:

i <3 humming birds there so cute butt at times boring but you know the nest is unitended rihgt now i woonder why oh thers the humming bird doing something that i don't know i think its shaking not shure wow look at that color soooooooooooo pritty i know i spelled a coupel of things wrong bye lol

posted on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 12:19pm
Amaya B Batie's picture
Amaya B Batie says:

that nest is really small . now the bird is inside.

posted on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 11:11am
dan.'s picture
dan. says:

your realy small

posted on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 12:11pm

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