Ruby-throated Hummingbird - photos by Bruce Dayton - Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

ORDER: Apodiformes
FAMILY: Trochilidae (Hummingbirds - 16 Species)
SPECIES: Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only hummingbird east of the Rockies. They have been known to visit sap wells drilled by sapsuckers if they return before most plants have begun flowering. Most researchers accept that these small birds make a remarkable non-stop crossing of the Gulf of Mexico, taking 18-20 hours.
SIZE	The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a tiny (3-4”) nectar gathering bird.
DESCRIPTION	Male has an emerald green back, iridescent ruby red throat. Female has an emerald green back, white breast and throat with a dark rounded tail with white tips and no throat patch. The female is larger than the male.
NESTING	Clutch size ranges from 1-2 eggs, which are incubated in 16 to 18 days. Female collects nectar and tiny insects in her crop, then regurgitates the slurry into mouths of nestlings. Nest is up to 50 feet above ground, usually attached to a small, downward-sloping twig and often near water. Site may be used from many years. The nest is spun by the female from spider webs and plant material, camouflaged with bits of lichen, lined with plant down.
RANGE	The Ruby-throated Hummingbird breeds in open areas throughout Eastern North America, the Canadian prairies down to the Gulf of Mexico. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is migratory, spending most of the winter in Mexico or Central America.
HABITAT	The Ruby-throated Hummingbird habitats woodland edges, suburban backyards, wooded parks, around farmsteads and orchards.
DIET	Hummingbirds eat more insects than nectar of which ants are their favorite. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird's agility in flight allows it to hover over and suck the nectar from flowers with its long straight needle-like bill.

INTERESTING FACTS

Iridescent

Reflecting colors in bright light which are less obvious or even invisible in poor light. Iridescence results from feather structure, and occurs usually as a blue, purple or green gloss on dark plumage, notably on certain hummingbirds, ducks and crows.

Recipe for artificial nectar (Hummingbird Syrup)

Use one part ordinary white cane sugar to four parts water.
It's not necessary to boil the water. The microorganisms that cause fermentation don't come from the water; they are transported to the feeder on hummingbird bills.
Store unused syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

This mixture approximates the average sucrose content (about 21%) of the flowers favored by North American hummingbirds, without being so sweet it attracts too many insects.

Penny Elliston, a licensed hummingbird rehabilitator

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The images on this web page are copyrighted © 2003 - 2007 by Bruce Dayton. I want to share my photos to promote conservation and to help people identify and learn about the birds and other creatures that live with us on the North American continent. Please do not use any of my work in any non-profit or for-profit project without first getting written permission from me. You can ask for permission by emailing me at webmaster@wildlifeofnorthamerica.info. All reproductions must bear an appropriate credit.




Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge Seneca County, New York


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Audubon Center -Savannah Township Wayne County, New York


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Ruby-throated Hummingbird Drawing by Louis Agassiz Fuertes