Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Common Name |
Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
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Scientific Name |
Archilochus colubris |
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Length |
3 3/4" |
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Weight |
Weight can range from 2 to 6 g (0.071 to 0.21 oz), with males averaging 3.4 g (0.12 oz) and the slightly larger female averaging 3.8 g (0.13 oz) |
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Range The only hummingbird found consistently all over the Eastern U.S. and Canada. Ruby-throats gather in Florida, Louisiana and along the South Texas coast in September in preparation for the final push to the south, either over the Gulf of Mexico or via an overland route through Mexico. First arrivals in the spring, usually males, are back in Texas and Louisiana in late February to mid-March. In more northern states and Canadian provinces, first arrivals are not until April or May. While most will migrate to Mexico and further south, some Ruby-throats do spend the winter along the U.S. Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida, and some along the southern Atlantic coastal regions. |
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Lifespan of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird The average life span is estimated by experts to be 3 - 5 years. Most deaths occur in the first year of life. The record age of a banded ruby-throated hummingbird is 6 years, 11 months. |
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Characteristics and Identification The adult male has a brilliant ruby red throat (gorget), black chin, and deeply notched, forked tail. Males use a repeating "pendulum" arch of flight to attract females. The female's throat is white, and immatures are similar in color to the female. The female body is slender, with a blunt, rounded tail with white corners. Very rare forms of Albino and white Leucistic Ruby-throated Hummingbirds do exist. The Ruby-throated and Broad-tailed are similar in many ways. But they occupy separate ranges, Ruby-throats in the Eastern US and Broad-tails in the Western US. The Ruby-throated and Black-chinned hummingbirds are also very similar, but have separate ranges. And the red gorget of the Ruby-throat can appear black in certain light and at certain angles, as seen in the comparison photos below. |
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Included below is a map showing the average spring migration arrival dates for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in North America. Arrival dates vary from year to year and from location to location, depending on a number of weather-related
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird enjoying necar from California Giant Zinnias! |
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird ... yes, it IS my feeder! |
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird at feeder amidst Tropical Milkweed |
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Ruby-throated Hummingbird ... sitting stunned after flying into a window ... it was fine, and flew off! |
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Need hummingbird garden inspiration? Visit these beautiful gardens on our other website! |
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Beautiful adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird in North Carolina |
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(Photography by Sina Norris) |
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Young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
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Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird at feeder in San Antonio, Texas |
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(Photo by and courtesy of Norman Joe Collins) |
Maybe a bit chilly! Fluffed-up Ruby-throated Hummingbird |
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![]() Ruby-throated Hummingbird ... Sitting alone on a lawn chair! |
The World of Nature, Series V"Among Our Feathered Friends" - #10 The Ruby-throated Hummingbird Distributed by the Coca-Cola Company - Circa 1930s Card size of 2-1/2" x 4", with artwork by Lynn Bogue Hunt (from the author's collection) |
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