H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

One specie of birds that captivated my heart when they started visiting my backyard was the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the smallest bird species that breeds in the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada, though is a roughly medium-sized species by hummingbird standards. Adults are metallic green above and greyish white below, with near-black wings. Their bill, at up 0.79 in, is long, straight and very slender. As in all hummingbirds, the toes and feet of this species are quite small, with a middle toe of around 0.24 in and a tarsus of approximately 0.16 in. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird can only shuffle if it wants to move along a branch, though it can scratch its head and neck with its feet.

The species is sexually dimorphic. The adult male, has a ruby red throat patch (also known as a gorget) which may appear black in some lighting, and a dark forked tail. The female has a dark rounded tail with white tips and generally no throat patch, though she may sometimes have a light or whitish throat patch. The male is smaller than the female, and has a slightly shorter bill. A molt of feathers occurs once a year, and begins during the autumn migration.

I personally love these little birds, they’re so incredibly small and beautiful that seem unreal. They can fly so fast they may suddenly “appear” in front of your face and look at you with those big eyes like smiling. This has happened to me when I’ve been refilling their nectar, just inches from my face watching me while hovering.

Next, I made a mosaic of pictures for you. Enjoy!

Text and photographs © HJ Ruiz – Avian101