Rufous Hummingbird

The Rufous Hummingbird is a small, fast, and famously pugnacious hummingbird of western North America. Adult males are unmistakable, with a body washed almost entirely in bright orange-rufous and a throat (gorget) that flashes an iridescent orange-red in good light. Females and immatures are more subdued, with a metallic green back, rufous patches on the flanks and at the base of the tail, and a scattering of orange-red spots on an otherwise white throat.

Despite weighing only about as much as a penny, Rufous Hummingbirds are known for undertaking one of the longest migratory journeys relative to body size of any bird, breeding as far north as southern Alaska and wintering in Mexico.

Key Field Marks

• Small, compact hummingbird with a fairly straight, thin bill
• Adult male: solid rufous-orange back, flanks, and tail; brilliant orange-red gorget
• Female/immature: green back, rufous wash on flanks and tail base, spotted throat
• Tail feathers are notably narrow and pointed, producing a slight buzzy wing/tail sound in flight

Similar Species

• Allen's Hummingbird is nearly identical; males are best separated by tail feather shape (best assessed in the hand) since some Rufous males show a greenish back like Allen's.
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird males have a rose-magenta (not orange) gorget and a green back.
• Calliope Hummingbird is smaller with streaked, not solid, magenta gorget rays.

Habitat

Rufous Hummingbirds favor open and semi-open habitats: forest edges, subalpine meadows, streamside thickets, and residential gardens with abundant flowering plants and feeders.

Range

They breed farther north than any other hummingbird, ranging from the Pacific Northwest through British Columbia into southern Alaska.

Migration

The species makes an extraordinary elliptical migration, moving north along the Pacific Coast in spring and returning south through the Rocky Mountains in late summer and fall to wintering grounds in Mexico, tracking the bloom of mountain wildflowers along the way.

Behavior

Rufous Hummingbirds are extremely aggressive and territorial, frequently chasing off much larger hummingbirds, and even bees and rodents, from feeders and flower patches.

Voice

They give sharp, buzzy "zeee-chuppity-chup" chase calls and a series of chip notes; males perform diving courtship displays accompanied by a rising-and-falling buzzy tone.

Feeding

They feed on nectar from a wide variety of tubular flowers and supplement their diet with small insects and spiders caught in flight or gleaned from foliage, as well as tree sap from sapsucker wells.

Nesting

Females alone build a small cup nest of plant down, moss, and spider silk on a horizontal branch, and raise the young without help from the male.