![]() ![]() Ruby-throats breed throughout eastern to midwestern North America, from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. More commonly, though, the shape and presence of white on the tail is a more reliable field mark. Gender identification is simple if the light is right: the brilliant red gorget of the male is unmistakable. Young males acquire full ruby gorgets during their first molt. Molts: One complete molt per year, which may start during the fall migration and continue into March. In August and September, young males may develop some red spots in the gorget. Juveniles: Young of both sexes look like the adult female. Smaller than the female.Īdult female: Emerald green back, white breast and throat, rounded tail with white tips. Heart rate: 250 beats/min resting 1200 beats/min feedingįlight speed: 30 mph (48 kph) normal 50 mph (80 kph) escape 63 mph (101 kph) diveĪdult male: Emerald green back, iridescent ruby red gorget (throat) that may appear black under some lighting conditions, gray flanks, forked tail with no white. ![]() Wing beats: 40-80 per second, average about 52 It is thought that Ruby-throats live as long as 12 years, but the average is probably 3-5 years. After leaving the nest, fledglings are fed by their mother for about 10 days. Since the mother starts incubating the first egg as soon as it's laid, that chick will hatch and fledge earlier than its sibling it will remain close to the nest until the other chick is ready to fly. when they leave the nest, the chicks are considerably larger than their mothers: they may weigh 4.5 grams, while poor Mom is down to only 2.5 g after the stress of raising them. Reports of the duration of the nestling phase vary from 14 to 31 days, the wide range possibly varying with the availability of food 18-23 days is normal. Two white, pea-sized eggs are laid two or three days apart, which the female will incubate from 60 to 80 percent of the day for 12-16 days. ![]() The nest will stretch to contain the growing nestlings, and may sometimes be reused (rebuilt) the following year. The walnut-sized nest, built by the female, is constructed on a foundation of bud scales attached to a tree limb with spider silk lichens camouflage the outside, and the inside is lined with dandelion, cattail, or thistle down. For a short period immediately after fledging, a female will tolerate the presence of her own young at the feeder, but they are soon treated the same as other adult birds - as rivals in pursuit of the food necessary to prepare for the fall migration.Ĭourtship is apparently very brief, if it exists at all, and once mated the female raises the young alone. ![]() Many hummingbird watchers find "Hummer Warz" endlessly entertaining, although the chases are obviously serious business to the hungry birds. Feeders hung at windows attract as many visitors as ones farther from structures, and the bird that claims a feeder as its territory may spend much of the day perched nearby, guarding the food source against intruders. They quickly become accustomed to human presence, and will swoop down to investigate red articles of clothing, possibly as potential food sources. Ruby-throats are intensely inquisitive and thus easily attracted to feeders, where males in particular typically display aggressive territoriality toward rival hummers, other birds, and even insects such as bees, butterflies, and sphinx moths. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is by far the most common species that breeds in the eastern half of North America, although most states have sporadic Rufous sightings, and Bob and Martha Sargent have banded eight other hummingbird species as winter visitors to five southeastern states. Ruby-throated Hummingbird ( Archilochus colubris) ![]()
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