Hummingbird (Ruby-throated)

Overview

Archilochus colubris, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, is a migratory species that undertakes remarkable journeys between its breeding grounds in eastern North America and wintering areas in Central America. Despite weighing only 2-6 grams, these tiny birds are capable of non-stop flights across the Gulf of Mexico, a journey of approximately 500 miles that can take up to 20 hours. Their wings beat at an astonishing 53 times per second during normal flight and up to 200 times per second during courtship displays. These hummingbirds play a crucial ecological role as pollinators, visiting hundreds of flowers daily to meet their high energy demands. Their long, extendable tongues allow them to extract nectar from tubular flowers, while their excellent memory enables them to remember and revisit productive feeding locations. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have the highest metabolism of all animals relative to body size, requiring them to consume approximately half their body weight in sugar daily. The species exhibits strong sexual dimorphism, with males sporting the namesake ruby-red gorget that appears black in poor lighting conditions. During the breeding season, males perform elaborate aerial displays to attract females and defend territories. After mating, females alone undertake all nesting duties, constructing tiny cup-shaped nests covered with lichen and bound with spider silk that can expand as chicks grow. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have adapted well to human-modified landscapes, readily visiting gardens and feeders. Their arrival in spring is often considered a harbinger of warmer weather throughout much of eastern North America, and they remain a favorite subject for backyard bird enthusiasts and nature photographers alike.

How to identify

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are tiny birds measuring 7-9 cm in length with a wingspan of 8-11 cm. Adult males have a brilliant iridescent ruby-red throat (gorget), metallic green back and crown, forked tail with no white, and grayish-white underparts. Females and juveniles lack the red throat, instead showing white underparts with buff-colored flanks, a white-tipped rounded tail, and the same metallic green upperparts. Both sexes have a thin, straight black bill and white chest. In flight, they produce a soft humming sound from rapid wingbeats. Calls include high-pitched squeaky chips and chatters, typically given during territorial disputes or courtship.

Habitat

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds inhabit woodland edges, meadows, gardens, parks, and backyards with abundant flowering plants. They prefer areas with mixed deciduous and mixed deciduous-coniferous forests, often near streams or forest clearings. During migration, they utilize a variety of habitats including coastal areas, scrubland, and urban gardens. They are frequently found in areas with native nectar plants such as trumpet creeper, cardinal flower, bee balm, and jewelweed, as well as at artificial hummingbird feeders.

Distribution

This species breeds throughout eastern North America, from central Alberta east to Nova Scotia and south to the Gulf Coast and central Texas. Their breeding range extends as far west as the Great Plains. During winter, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrate to southern Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and southern Florida. Migration typically follows the Gulf Coast, though many individuals make the non-stop trans-Gulf crossing between the Yucatan Peninsula and the Gulf Coast of the United States.

Diet

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds primarily feed on nectar from tubular flowers, preferring red, orange, and pink blooms. They visit a wide variety of native plants including columbine, trumpet vine, cardinal flower, bee balm, and coral honeysuckle. In addition to nectar, they consume small insects and spiders for protein, often catching them in mid-air or gleaning them from foliage and spider webs. Insects and arthropods are particularly important during breeding season and for feeding young. They also drink tree sap from sapsucker drill holes and will readily visit artificial feeders filled with sugar water (typically a 1:4 sugar-to-water ratio).

Behavior

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are solitary and highly territorial, with males aggressively defending feeding territories from other hummingbirds and even larger birds. They are capable of remarkable flight maneuvers, including hovering, flying backwards, and quick directional changes. Males perform elaborate courtship displays involving U-shaped or J-shaped dive patterns, sometimes reaching speeds of 60 mph during dives. These birds enter torpor (a hibernation-like state) during cold nights to conserve energy, lowering their metabolic rate and body temperature significantly. They are diurnal and spend much of their time feeding, preening, and resting on exposed perches between feeding bouts.

Reproduction & life cycle

The breeding season extends from March to July, varying by latitude. Males arrive at breeding grounds before females and establish territories. After mating, males play no role in nesting or chick-rearing. Females construct a walnut-sized nest on a downward-sloping branch, typically 10-40 feet above ground, using plant down, bud scales, and lichen bound together with spider silk. The nest is elastic and expands as chicks grow. Females lay 2 white eggs (occasionally 1 or 3) and incubate them for 12-14 days. Nestlings fledge at 18-22 days old but may return to the nest to rest for several days after first flight. Females may raise 1-3 broods per season, sometimes reusing and rebuilding the same nest.

When to look

Present in breeding range from late March/April through September/October. Peak spring migration occurs in April-May; fall migration in August-October. Best observed during breeding season (May-August) when males are displaying and defending territories. In southern wintering grounds, present from November through March.

Cultural significance

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds hold special significance in many Native American cultures, often symbolizing joy, beauty, and healing. In Cherokee tradition, hummingbirds brought tobacco to the people and are considered medicine animals. The Aztecs associated hummingbirds with their god Huitzilopochtli, a deity of war and the sun. In modern North American culture, these birds are beloved garden visitors and their arrival is celebrated as a sign of spring. They inspire countless artistic works, jewelry designs, and are a primary driver of native plant gardening movements. The species has no significant medicinal uses but plays an important role in environmental education and citizen science projects focused on migration timing and climate change impacts.

Similar species

• Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)
• Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)
• Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)

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