How to identify a Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Start with a tiny body, long thin bill, narrow wings, and fast direct flight.
Adult males are metallic green above with a bright red throat, called a gorget. The breast and belly are pale.
That red can disappear when the bird turns away from the light. The throat may suddenly look dark or almost black, then flash red again with a small change in angle.
Females and immature birds are green above and pale below without the full red gorget. That makes location and season much more important.
Where do Ruby-throated Hummingbirds live?
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are the main breeding hummingbird across most of eastern North America.
They use woodland edges, open woods, gardens, parks, yards, and other places with flowers and small insects.
In winter, most move south to Mexico and Central America. A few may remain along the Gulf Coast, southern Atlantic coast, or southern Florida.
Do Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrate?
Yes. They are medium- to long-distance migrants.
Some take one of the most impressive routes for such a tiny bird: a direct flight across the Gulf of Mexico. Others travel around the Gulf instead.
Before migration, hummingbirds can add substantial fat reserves. That stored energy helps power long flights where there is no place to stop and feed.
Migration timing varies with weather, latitude, age, and sex. Adult males often begin moving south before females and young birds.
What does a Ruby-throated Hummingbird sound like?
The calls are small and sharp. Cornell describes a common chee-dit call during interactions and chases.
Males can also give repeated chip notes around daybreak.
Then there is the wing hum. Both sexes make it, but it can be louder and higher in males.
What do Ruby-throated Hummingbirds eat?
Nectar provides fast energy. Flowers provide the natural source, and clean sugar-water feeders can add another dependable option.
But nectar is not the whole diet.
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds also catch small insects and spiders. Those foods provide protein and nutrients that sugar water cannot.
A yard with native flowers, insects, shrubs, and clean feeders gives hummingbirds more than one way to feed. Their strong color vision and memory help them return to productive flowers and feeders.
What is the right hummingbird nectar recipe?
Use one part plain white table sugar to four parts water.
No red dye is needed. Do not replace the sugar with honey, brown sugar, artificial sweeteners, or other ingredients.
See How to Make Hummingbird Nectar for the full recipe and How Often to Change Hummingbird Nectar for cleaning and hot-weather timing.
How do Ruby-throated Hummingbirds nest?
The female does the nest building and raises the young on her own.
She builds a tiny cup on a slender branch, often using plant down held together with spider silk. Bits of lichen and moss camouflage the outside.
The nest is only about 2 inches across. It can stretch as the chicks grow because spider silk gives the walls some flexibility.
A clutch usually has one to three eggs, with two being common.
How fast do Ruby-throated Hummingbird wings beat?
Very fast.
Cornell notes that the wings beat about 53 times per second during normal flight. That speed helps create the humming sound that gave the whole family its name.
Hummingbird flight is unusually flexible. They can hover, move sideways, and sustain backward flight. See Can Birds Fly Backwards?.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird vs Anna's Hummingbird
Start with geography.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird dominates eastern North America during the breeding season. Anna's Hummingbird is a western species, especially common near the Pacific Coast.
Adult males differ too. Ruby-throated males have a red throat but green crown. Anna's males show rose-pink on both the throat and crown.
Females are harder. Use range, season, tail pattern, shape, and sound rather than colour alone.
How long do Ruby-throated Hummingbirds live?
Many die young, especially during migration and the first year of life.
Still, some survive for years. Cornell reports an oldest known Ruby-throated Hummingbird of at least 9 years and 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
Do Ruby-throated Hummingbirds come back to the same feeder?
Some individuals return to the same general areas and dependable food sources in later seasons. A feeder can be part of that familiar landscape, but flowers and insects matter too.
When should you put out a hummingbird feeder?
You can put it out shortly before the usual spring arrival in your region. If hummingbirds remain or migrate through later, you can keep the feeder up as long as you maintain it properly.
Will leaving a feeder up stop hummingbirds from migrating?
No. Migration is driven by much more than whether one feeder has nectar. A clean feeder can help late-moving birds refuel.
Do Ruby-throated Hummingbirds walk?
Not in the normal bird sense. Their tiny legs are built mainly for perching, and they can only shuffle along a perch rather than walk or hop well.
More familiar birds
Continue with Anna's Hummingbird, American Goldfinch, or browse all Common Birds. For feeders and flowers, visit Backyard Birds.