Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have a shiny green back and crown with a gray-white belly. Males have a ruby-red throat. These slender, tiny birds (2.8-3.5 in) have a slightly downcurved beak and short wings.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds live in woodland areas as well as urban gardens with lots of flowering plants. They are the only hummingbird species to breed in eastern North America but can also be found in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. They fly south to Central America every winter, crossing the 800 km expanse of the Gulf of Mexico. A few over-winter on the Gulf coast or at the tip of Florida.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are good pollinators, picking up pollen on their wings as they hover over a flower to suck its nectar. They are attracted to long tubular flowers that are red or orange.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds beat their wings 53 times a second. They can hover in place and change direction extremely fast.
Could it be? Male Anna's Hummingbirds have glittering red foreheads as well as throats. Male Black-chinned Hummingbirds have a black chin with a purple strip at the base, while the females have longer wings that reach the tip of their tail.
Did you know? Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have very short legs and can neither hop nor walk, although they can shuffle sideways when perched.
See Also: Anna's Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird
