Baby hummingbirds typically learn to fly about three weeks after hatching. The timeline for their development is as follows:
Hatching: After an incubation period of approximately 15 to 18 days, the eggs hatch, and the chicks are born blind and featherless.
Feather Growth: Within the first two weeks, the chicks grow feathers and begin to exercise their wings. They start sitting on the edge of the nest and stretching their wings around this time.
First Flight: By three weeks old, the young hummingbirds are fully feathered and capable of flight. This is when they leave the nest, a process known as fledging.
Continued Care: Even after fledging, the mother continues to care for them for about another week, teaching them how to find food and navigate their environment.
Overall, from egg to fledging, the entire process takes about five weeks, with the actual flight learning occurring in the last week of this period.