Hummer Feeding Chick

A really beautiful shot, Jeremy!

With best regards,

Ruud.

Great!

Cool shot, Jeremy.  Any idea what she's feeding it?  I always just kind of assumed they regurgitated sugar water, but that looks like a seed or something.

Scott,

I think what you are thinking is a seed is actually the inside of the chicks mouth seen between the open tips of the mother's beak. What they feed their young is partly regurgitated syrup, but also tiny bugs. They need the bugs for nourishment and especially for protein, which the syrup does not provide. As far as I know, hummers do not eat seeds at all, but I am no expert.

Thanks for the explanation, Jeremy.  It all makes sense now.  I had never heard of a hummer eating seeds either.