Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

Order APODIFORMES - Family TROCHILIDAE - Subfamily Trochilinae

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1. Cool Facts
2. Description
3. Similar Species
4. Sound
5. Range
6. Habitat
7. Food
8. Behavior
9. Reproduction
10. Conservation Status
11. Other Names

The only species of hummingbird that breeds in eastern North America, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is found throughout the eastern deciduous and mixed forests. It flies nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico to winter in Central America.

Cool Facts

• The Ruby-throated Hummingbird beats its wings 53 times a second.

• The extremely short legs of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird prevent it from walking or hopping. The best it can do is shuffle along a perch. Nevertheless, it scratches its head and neck by raising its foot up and over its wing.

• The Ruby-throated Hummingbird does not show a strong preference for any particular color of feeder. Instead, it prefers specific feeder locations.

Description

• Size: 7-9 cm (3-4 in)
• Wingspan: 8-11 cm (3-4 in)
• Weight: 2-6 g (0.07-0.21 ounces)

• Tiny bird.
• Back iridescent green.
• Hovers at flowers.
• Male with brilliant iridescent red throat.

Sex Differences

Male with red throat, female with white. Female with white tips to tail feathers. Female larger.

Male

Gorget (throat) brilliant metallic red. Back and head metallic bronze-green. Tail feathers pointed and dark purplish or black. Wing feathers dark slate. Chin, malar region, around eyes, and auriculars black. Small white spot behind eyes. Chest dull brownish white, changing to darker brownish gray on breast and abdomen; sides and flanks darker and overlaid with bronze-green. Tufts on side of rump white. Undertail coverts brownish gray, edged with dull white.

Female

Back, top of head, and two central tail feathers metallic bronze-green. Three outer tail feathers on each side with broad white tips, black central portions, and bronzy green bases. Wing feathers dark. Small white spot behind eye. Auriculars dusky. Throat and underparts dull grayish white or brownish gray. Flanks and undertail coverts tinged with buffy. Tufts on side of rump white.

Immature

Similar to adult female. Male with dusky streaks on throat and a few metallic red feathers.

Similar Species

• Male Black-chinned Hummingbird has purple gorget.
• Female hummingbirds are difficult to distinguish.

Sound

Rapid squeaky chipping. Humming sound from wings.

»listen to songs of this species

Range

Summer Range

Breeds from central Alberta eastward to Nova Scotia, southward from eastern North Dakota to eastern Texas and Florida.

Winter Range

Winters in southern Mexico and Central America south to Costa Rica.

Habitat

• Breeds in mixed woodlands and eastern deciduous forest, gardens, and orchards.
• Winters in tropical deciduous forest, tropical dry forests, scrubland, citrus groves, and second growth.

Food

Flower nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Comes to hummingbird feeders.

Behavior

Foraging

Hovers at flowers and sap wells, catches insects in flight and plucks them from leaves, plucks spiders from their webs.

Reproduction

Nest Type

Nest an open cup placed on top of small tree branch. Made of thistle and dandelion down, held together with spider web and covered on outside with lichens. Placed at 6-50 feet height, average of 10-20 feet.

Egg Description

Color: White.

Size: 12.2-14.0 mm x 8.38-9.14 mm.
(0.48-0.55 in X 0.33-0.36 in)

Incubation period: 12-14 days.

Clutch Size

Usually 2 eggs. Range: 1-3.

Condition at Hatching

Helpless, naked, and black.
Chicks fledge in 18-20 days.

Conservation Status

Populations appear stable.

Other Names

Colibri à gorge rubis (French)
Colibrí garganta de rubí, Mansoncito garganta de fuego, Chupaflor rubí (Spanish)

Sources used to construct this page:

Robinson, T. R., R. R. Sargent, and M. B. Sargent. 1996. Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). In The Birds of North America, No. 204 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.