Female Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Hundreds of kinds of hummingbirds nest in the american tropics and more than a dozen in the western u s but east of the great plains there is only the ruby throat.

Female ruby throated hummingbird.

A flash of green and red the ruby throated hummingbird is eastern north america s sole breeding hummingbird. The ruby throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird species that nests east of the mississippi river. Ruby throated hummingbird the male ruby throated hummingbird does indeed have a striking red throat though the female of the species does not. Female ruby throated hummingbird taking various defensive and evasive actions around a man made feeder.

The auriculars of the female ruby throated hummingbird are distinctly gray though the amount of gray coloration can vary this contrasts well with the pale throat and green head. Impressive migrants despite their small size some ruby throats may. Female ruby throated hummingbird with chicks by agnieszka bacal shutterstock. The oldest known ruby throated hummingbird to be banded was 9 years and 1 month of age.

A flash of green and red the ruby throated hummingbird is eastern north america s sole breeding hummingbird. Hovering in front of a flower to sip nectar it beats its wings more than 50 times per second. Almost all hummingbirds of 7 years or more in age are females with males rarely surviving past 5 years of age. Feeders and flower gardens are great ways to attract these birds and some people turn their yards into buzzing clouds of hummingbirds each summer.

Like the male ruby throated hummingbird a white spot is easily visible behind the female s dark eye. Ruby throated hummingbird archilochus colubris 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. Like the male the upperparts of the female ruby throated hummingbird are a shimmery. During the spring and summer ruby throats may be found from southern canada across the central and eastern states to the gulf coast.

These brilliant tiny precision flying creatures glitter like jewels in the full sun then vanish with a zip toward the next nectar source. Feeders and flower gardens are great ways to attract these birds and some people turn their yards into buzzing clouds of hummingbirds each summer.