Month 5 · May · Wave 1

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris · Trochilidae

The only breeding hummingbird across most of eastern North America.

At a glance

Size: 2.8–3.5 in
Wingspan: 3.1–4.3 in
Habitat: Gardens, woodland edges, feeders
Diet: Flower nectar, tiny insects, sugar-water feeders

Range: Breeds in eastern North America; winters mainly in Central America

Nesting: Walnut-sized cup of plant down and spider silk, camouflaged with lichen.

Coloring pose idea: Hovering at trumpet honeysuckle

Hear this bird

General call / song: High chip notes in chase; wings produce a soft hum.

Mating / display: Pair / courtship recordings are linked below when Audubon labels them. Original note — Male dive display: climbs high, then swoops with a distinctive wing buzz at the bottom.

Buttons open trusted public pages with playable recordings. We link out — we do not host or embed the audio.

Play calls on All About Birds Species overview Audubon field guide Mating / courtship calls

How to know it

Tiny; metallic green back; male has fiery red throat that can look black.
Female lacks red throat; has white-tipped outer tail feathers.
Wings beat so fast they blur; needle-thin black bill.

Behavior

Males defend nectar territories aggressively.
Can fly backward and hover in place.
Migrates across the Gulf of Mexico in a nonstop overnight flight.

Fun facts

Heart rate can exceed 1,000 beats per minute in flight.
Spider silk lets the nest stretch as chicks grow.
Prefer red tubular flowers but will use many colors.

Companion page for the Birds Coloring Calendar series by R. J. D. B. Fact summaries are original educational text. Call playback via link to All About Birds / Cornell Lab. Re-test QR codes on a phone before final print. Not affiliated with Cornell Lab or Audubon.

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