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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubrisOrder: APODIFORMESFamily: Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Head Illustration

Head

  • Bill Shape: Needle
  • Eye Color: Brown.
  • Head Pattern: Plain, Unique pattern
  • Crown Color: Green
  • Forehead Color: Green
  • Nape Color: Green
  • Throat Color: Red
  • Cere color: No Data
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Body Illustration

Body

  • Length Range: 8-10 cm (3-3.75 in)
  • Weight: 3 g (0.1 oz)
  • Size: Very Small (3 - 5 in)
  • Color Primary: Green, Sheen or Iridescence
  • Underparts: Gray-washed white with green sides.
  • Upperparts: Green
  • Back Pattern: Solid
  • Belly Pattern: Solid
  • Breast Pattern: Solid
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Flight

Flight

  • Flight Pattern: Up to 75 rapid wing beats per second.
  • Wingspan Range: 11-11 cm (4.25-4.5 in)
  • Wing Shape: Pointed-Wings
  • Tail Shape: Fan-shaped Tail
  • Tail Pattern: Banded
  • Upper Tail: Dark Green
  • Under Tail: Dark Green
  • Leg Color: Black
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Family
Species Archilochus colubris
Length3 - 3.75 Inches
Wingspan4.375 Inches

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Medium hummingbird, iridescent green upperparts, head, flanks. Underparts are pale gray, paler breast, green wash on sides, belly; throat is bright red with black chin. Tail is dark, forked. Feeds primarily on nectar. Direct and hovering flight with very rapid wing beats.

● Song: "chip-chip-chip-chip-chip"

● Foraging & Feeding: Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Feeds mostly on nectar, but also eats insects and spiders; preferred flowers include honeysuckle, petunias, nasturtiums, and lilacs, but is often attracted to red-flowered species. Consumes twice its body weight each day.

● Breeding & nesting: Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Two white eggs are laid in a nest woven from plant down, held together with spider silk, covered with lichens, and saddled to a tree branch, usually in a forest clearing. Eggs are incubated for 11 to 16 days by the female.

● Similar species: Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Broad-tailed Hummingbird has a duller red throat and lacks black chin. Female is distinguished from the following: Calliope Hummingbird has rufous on flanks and tail; Anna's Hummingbird is larger and has grayer breast; Costa's Hummingbird is smaller, stouter, and has pale eyebrows; Black-chinned Hummingbird has grayer crown and underparts.

Flight Pattern

Up to 75 rapid wing beats per second.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Ruby-throated Hummingbird: Breeds from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast; only hummingbird that breeds east of the Mississippi River. Spends winters mainly in the tropics and rarely on the Gulf Coast. Found in woodlands, orchards, and gardens.
BreedingSolitary nester
PopulationCommon to fairly common
MigrationMigratory
Weight0.1 Ounces