Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a tiny, glittering gem of the avian world and the only species of hummingbird that regularly breeds in eastern North America. Renowned for its insect-like flight, incredible maneuverability, and long-distance migrations, this species is a beloved visitor to backyard gardens and feeders. They have extremely high metabolic rates, requiring them to feed almost constantly during the day, and they can enter a state of torpor (deep sleep) at night to conserve energy when temperatures drop.

Identifying the Ruby-throated Hummingbird relies heavily on observing throat patterns and overall coloration, keeping in mind sexual dimorphism.

Adult Male

• Gorget (Throat): Brilliant, iridescent ruby-red that can flash intensely in direct light but appears velvety black in shadow.
• Upperparts: Metallic bronze-green on the back, crown, and sides.
• Underparts: Greyish-white breast and underparts with greenish flanks.
• Tail: Dark, deeply forked tail with no white tips.

Adult Female

• Throat: Plain white, occasionally with faint, light grey streaking or speckling.
• Upperparts: Bright emerald or bronze-green.
• Underparts: Clean white or buffy-white.
• Tail: Rounded tail with prominent white tips on the outer feathers (a key field mark to distinguish from males).

Similar Species

• Black-chinned Hummingbird: Very similar in the West, though rare in the East. Males have a black throat with a thin purple band at the base, and females are extremely difficult to tell apart without close hand-in-hand examination, though Black-chinneds have a slightly longer, more curved bill and distinct pump-action tail movements when hovering.
• Rufous Hummingbird: Occasional fall vagrant in the East. Easily distinguished by the male's overall cinnamon-orange plumage and the female's warm rufous wash on the flanks and base of the tail.

Distribution and Range

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds breed throughout eastern North America, from southern Canada (Alberta east to Nova Scotia) south to the Gulf Coast and Florida. In late summer and autumn, they embark on a remarkable migration. Most winter in Central America, ranging from southern Mexico to western Panama.

Breeding and Migratory Habitat

During the breeding season, they occupy deciduous and mixed pine-deciduous forests, forest edges, clearings, orchards, parks, and suburban gardens. During migration, they can be found in any habitat offering nectar-producing flowers, including coastal scrub and open fields.

The Gulf Crossing

To reach their wintering grounds, many individuals fly directly across the Gulf of Mexico—a non-stop, 800-kilometer (500-mile) journey over open water that takes approximately 18 to 22 hours of continuous flight. To survive this arduous trek, they must double their body weight in the weeks leading up to migration.

Flight and Locomotion

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have unique shoulder joints that allow their wings to rotate 180 degrees. This enables them to fly forwards, backwards, upside down, and hover in mid-air with complete precision. Their wings beat at an astonishing rate of about 50 to 80 times per second, producing the characteristic "humming" sound.

Feeding Behavior

• Nectar Feeding: They use their long, slender bill and specialized grooved tongue to lap up nectar from tubular flowers. They are highly attracted to red and orange blossoms.
• Insect Foraging: They supplement their sugar-rich diet with essential proteins by catching tiny insects (such as gnats, mosquitoes, and wasps) mid-air, or by plucking spiders and insects from webs.
• Sapsucker Wells: They regularly follow Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, drinking sugary sap from the drill holes left in tree bark.

Breeding and Nesting

Females hold sole responsibility for nesting. They construct a tiny, compact cup-nest about the size of a walnuts shell. Constructed from bud scales and plant down, the nest is held together with sticky spider silk, allowing the nest to stretch as the two jellybean-sized chicks grow. The exterior is camouflaged with bits of lichen to look like a tree knot.

Vocalizations

They do not possess a true song. Instead, they make high-pitched, squeaky, or chattering calls, particularly during territorial disputes or when chasing rivals away from feeders.