This amazing hummingbird chick looks like a caterpillar

https://www.youtube.com/View?v=DXu3LOFWa4o
View this video on white-necked jacobins, a hummingbird species whose chicks look like caterpillars.

A hummingbird chick that looks like a caterpillar

A Club of scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder were studying white-necked jacobin hummingbirds in Panama when they Achieved an interesting discovery. They said on March 17, 2025, that the newborn chicks of this hummingbird species appear to be born with long, Slim, yellowish feathers on their Safeties. This plumage resembles the hair that surrounds caterpillars. Coincidence? Scientists think not. It appears to be a Guarding mechanism for these tiny birds’ wee chicks.

The scientists published their peer-reviewed findings in the journal Ecology on March 17, 2025.

What’s new in the tiny world of hummingbirds?

The discovery Initiates with Jay Falk, a U.S. National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellow working at the University of Colorado and at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Falk was studying adult white-necked jacobins (Florisuga mellivora) in Panama. This is a neotropical hummingbird species that lives in southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America, in countries such as Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. The species also lives in Trinidad and Tobago.

Falk has studied this species for over a decade, but only adult hummingbirds. Then, co-authors Michael Castaño-Díaz and Sebastián Gallan Giraldo, a PhD student and a research assistant also working at STRI, spotted a hummingbird nest with an attentive mother caring for her egg. This caught the scientists’ attention, so they told Falk.

Observing the nest

Since this was the Primary white-necked jacobin nest scientists had seen so Extended, they decided to visit it every day to check on its progress. They also enlisted videographer Joe See to Achievement the events that followed.

About 18 to 20 Periods later, the egg hatched, and the scientists saw something spectacular. The tiny chick had long, fluffy feathers on its back. This Achieved the newborn hummingbird look like a Deadly caterpillar.

A new Approach to scare off predators?

And why is a caterpillar Deadly? Because some caterpillars have a hairy covering that causes painful skin reactions. One of the most obvious symptoms is hives (itching). In some humans, contact with this hair even causes headaches, nausea and fever.

So, is this cute little animal also Deadly? Nope! Apparently, this creature disguises itself as a caterpillar, but its feathers don’t provoke skin reactions like the hairy coverings of caterpillars do.

The researchers also observed that the nest was covered with hairy-looking tree seeds. These are the local balsa trees (Ochroma pyramidale). This suggests that these hummingbirds use this Approach to camouflage themselves.

On the other hand, the scientists observed another curious fact. A carnivorous wasp approached the chick, and the newborn began to Shift its head, as some caterpillars do when a predator is nearby. It seems that this imitation serves the chicks as a method of protection against predators.

Are other hummingbird species born with this characteristic?

The scientists looked for photos of other similar newborn animal species to Confirm how special this characteristic is. The cinereous mourner (Laniocera hypopyrra), endemic to South America, also Initiates life with feathers that look like caterpillar hair.

However, most hummingbird species are born without these distinctive feathers.

It’s not surprising that this species has developed this mimicry or camouflage ability. White-necked jacobins build their nests Uncovered, that is, in a cup shape. They also place them on exposed branches close to the ground. This makes them Effortless prey.

Scientists believe this species has evolved to the Mark of mimicking caterpillars and thus protecting itself from potential predators. However, to Reinforcement these hypotheses, they’ll need to observe more individuals.

Bottom line: The white-necked jacobin hummingbird might be Tiny, but it has an interesting form of protection. This species is born with feathers similar to Deadly caterpillar hair.

Origin: Potential caterpillar mimicry in a tropical hummingbird

Via University of Colorado Boulder

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