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Ruby-throated Hummingbird

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the most widespread hummingbird in the United States and Canada. If you live east of the Mississippi, you’ve probably seen one … or many.

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

PIcture of a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird perched on a twig
Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

An adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird has a black head, a red throat (gorget), and a bright green back. This male hummingbird shows the reddish color in his gorget feathers. It was an overcast and rainy day when this photo was taken. There was not enough light to really show off his red gorget.

Here’s the ruby red

Picture of a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird in flight
Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

This hummingbird’s gorget caught the sunlight as he flew toward me.  It is easiest to see the color when the light is behind you but shining directly onto the hummingbird.

Notice the v-notch or forked tail. Adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have the v-notch tail and pointy tail feathers.

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird in different light

Side view picture of a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird
His Gorget Looks Dark

This is a different adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbird. His gorget looks dark, almost black. The sun was out, but the angle was not right for the feathers to appear red.

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Picture of a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird among yellow flowers
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird

A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird has a plain whitish throat, perhaps with some light markings, and a bright green back. It can be tough to tell an adult female from a very young bird after nesting season. The immature Ruby-throateds can look like this. I would be more certain in calling this a female if the photo had been taken in the spring before young hummingbirds were about.

Young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Close up side view of a young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird perching among twigs and leaves.
Young Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

A young male Ruby-throated can have speckling or colored feathers in the throat area. The streaking on this Ruby’s throat, and the stray red feather, show that this is a young male.

Young Ruby-throats in flight

Side view picture of a young Ruby-throated Hummingbird in flight
Young Male?

Guess: young male.  Reason: spotted throat.

Close up of Ruby-throated Hummingbird hovering next to feeder
Young Female?

Guess: none. Reason: light throat, rounded white tail tips made me think it was a young female. But I have another, less clear, photo of the same (maybe) hummingbird shows what might be a single red feather in center of throat.

Name and Nicknames

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have many dedicated fans. And so, they have many nicknames: ruby throated, ruby throats, rubythroat, ruby, rubies, hummers, hummer birds. Here’s their scientific name: Archilochus colubris.

Ruby-throated Hummers

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrate long, long distances between where they nest and where they spend the winter. The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly each spring from Mexico and Central America up into Texas, Florida, and rest of the Gulf Coast. They then spread up and through the eastern U.S. and Canada to nest. During their return migration in the fall, they concentrate in large numbers along the Gulf Coast.

We know so much about Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in part due to a few dedicated groups and many interested citizens. Great sources of information on Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are Operation RubyThroat, the HummerBird Study Group, and Hummingbirds.net.

Neighborhood birds
A Ruby-throated Hummingbird peers out from behind a cluster of yellow flowers.
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds like forest edges, parks, and gardens. Just like we do. The picture above was taken in a public park in Rockport, Texas during the 2014 HummerBird Festival.

If you live in the east, we hope you get some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at your park, school, or home next season.

Thanks for coming by. Back to home or pictures of other hummingbird species found in the United States and Canada.

Filed Under: Hummingbird Pictures, Hummingbird Species

Calliope Hummingbird

Here is the tiny Calliope Hummingbird.

Picture of a male Calliope Hummingbird with his dark red gorget visible as he perches on a small twig
Calliope Hummingbird

I hoped to see a Calliope Hummingbird all spring and summer but was never in the right area (western mountain areas) at the right time. Finally, they were at Sipe during the fall hummingbird migration, mixed in with the Rufous and Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.

The Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest hummingbird of the United States and Canada.  It is also the smallest bird that nests in the United States. It is very small, between 2.75 and 3.25 inches (7.5 – 8 cm) long, including the beak.  More facts about the Calliope are here.

Male Calliope Hummingbird
Close up picture of a male Calliope Hummingbird as he perches on a feeder
Male Calliope Hummingbird

The male Calliope Hummingbirds have spiky dark red gorget feathers. I only saw a few of them, but they were fairly easy to spot in the middle of the other migrating hummingbirds. I looked for their purplish red gorget, small size, and short tail (tail is about as short as wing tips when the hummingbird is perched).  They slipped in and out of the crowds at the feeders, not calling attention to themselves.

Female Calliope Hummingbird
Close up picture of a female Calliope Hummingbird perching on a feeder
Female Calliope Hummingbird

The female Calliope Hummingbirds were more tricky to identify. Their pale coloring is similar to other female and immature hummingbirds. I looked for a short tail as well as small size. The picture above is a female Calliope, or perhaps an immature Calliope.

Calliope Hummingbirds in the swarm
Picture of a Calliope Hummingbird clinging to a feeder and feeding while other hummingbirds either feed or confront each other.
Calliope Among Other Hummingbirds

The Calliope Hummingbirds were quiet and discreet in this setting. They would feed quietly while other hummingbirds were fighting and chasing. Sometimes the Calliopes would get flushed off the feeders in the general chaos, but the other hummers mostly left them alone. The male Calliopes did notice each other, but I did not see any bother to give chase.

They were very cute.

Picture of a male Calliope Hummingbird on a feeder
Calliope Compared to a US Penny

Thanks for coming by. Check out some of our other picture posts or return home.

Filed Under: Hummingbird Pictures, Hummingbird Species

Rufous Hummingbird

The Rufous Hummingbird is a dashing little hummingbird, bright orange and rust colored.

Picture of a male Rufous Hummingbird with his orange gorget catching the light.

Picture of Rufous Hummingbird male in flight

Rufous Hummingbird – beautiful, small but …

Many people really like the Rufous. Its small size, bright color, and speed are appealing. The Rufous Hummingbird was even named 2014 Bird of the Year by the American Birding Association.

Then there’s the Rufous attitude. The Rufous Hummingbird is known for being “aggressive”. Maybe aggressive seems unlikely, given its small size …

Picture of a male Rufous Hummingbird perched on a feeder. The feeder has a U.S. penny attached to it for size comparison.

but once you have seen a male Rufous Hummingbird … or males … around a feeder, you will understand their reputation.

Video of a Rufous Hummingbird guarding a very large feeder

This male Rufous Hummingbird spent much more time defending that large feeder than drinking from it. This video was recorded at the Cave Creek Research Station near Portal, Arizona in late July 2013.

Competition

Picture of a 2 male Rufous Hummingbirds in flight, with one backing away and one charging toward it

At times, a male Rufous Hummingbird will focus on other Rufous males as they approach a feeder. The males may confront and chase each other rather than feed, while the rest of the hummingbirds look on or continue to drink.

Conflict at the feeders is not constant, however. In this Hummingbird Migration post, you can see that even Rufous males can settle down and tolerate other hummingbirds for a short time.

Female Rufous Hummingbird

Picture of a female Rufous Hummingbird perched on a twig and looking at the camera.

Here is a female Rufous Hummingbird. The females and immature hummingbirds often look alike, so it can be tough to tell them apart. During fall migration, the young hummingbirds are mixed in with the females. It is also challenging to tell them apart from female or immature Broad-tailed Hummingbirds.

Young male Rufous Hummingbird

Picture of a young male Rufous Hummingbird, with a few iridescent orange gorget feathers.

Here is an immature Rufous Hummingbird. This bird had a few scattered gorget feathers coming in, which led to identifying him as a young male. Immature males may also have heavy striping down the throat area, as this hummingbird does.

To identify the female and the young male above, I relied upon multiple photos of each hummingbird, a hummingbird bander’s tip on looking for some white around the orange gorget spot on females (thank you), the Beginner’s Guide to Hummingbirds*, and A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America**.

More about Rufous Hummingbirds

Rufous Hummingbird migrate hundreds … or thousands … of miles from their wintering grounds in Mexico (or southern United States) to their summer territories in the United States and Canada.  The males lead the way, arriving in the Pacific Northwest as early as February. Some continue on to Alaska and northwestern Canada. The females follow afterward.

Check out the Spring 2016 Rufous migration map by the Journey North, an educational organization that tracks wildlife movement using citizen observations.

The males leave as early as June or July on their southward migration to their wintering grounds. The females and young follow a little later in the summer.

We have learned a lot about Rufous Hummingbirds from hummingbird banders and citizens, as well as biologists. Their efforts have proven that a population of Rufous overwinters in the southeastern United States, rather traveling to Mexico. Our thanks go out to them.

Name: Selasphorus rufus

Size: 3.5 to 4 inches (9 to 10 cm)

Longest known migration: 3,530 miles

An Aside – Rufous Hummingbird look-alike

The Rufous looks almost identical to the Allen’s Hummingbird, a slightly smaller hummingbird of coastal California and Oregon. How do you tell them apart? We had relied primarily on geographical location (southern and coastal California for Allen’s) and on back color for the males (red for Rufous).

While useful, apparently these shortcuts are not definitive. Telling a Rufous from an Allen’s lies in the shape of the tail feathers. The picture of a male Rufous Hummingbird below shows his red back and a flared tail. That notched tail feather, second from the bottom, is distinctive. That’s a Rufous tail feather.

Picture showing male Rufous Hummingbird's back and flared tail against a green background.

If you are interested in telling Rufous and Allen’s Hummingbirds apart, check out this article by Sheri Williamson for a clear description of color and tail feather shapes and links to photos.

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Sources for identifying the birds: *Beginner’s Guide to Hummingbirds by Donald and Lillian Stokes and **A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America by Sheri Williamson

Sources for “More about Rufous Hummingbirds”: **A Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America by Sheri Williamson

Filed Under: Hummingbird Pictures, Hummingbird Species

Hummingbird Migration

The hummingbird migration through the western United States takes place each year. This post shows the southward migration, back toward Mexico and Central America.

Picture of 9 hummingbirds around a large hummingbird feeder during hummingbird migration.
Hummingbirds feeding during migration

Here’s a swarm of mostly Rufous Hummingbirds at Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area near Eager, Arizona. There were many more hummingbird feeders and many, many more birds at Sipe this late July 2014.

Video of hummingbird swarm during migration

The Rufous Hummingbird migrates from Mexico to northern parts of the U.S., including Alaska, and into Canada, then back. They need a lot of fuel for this long flight, and they are willing to challenge each other to get it.

Though you can see mostly Rufous in this video, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds were also abundant at the feeders, in the bushes and trees. The males were easy to see and easier to hear. I saw a few Calliope Hummingbirds among the crowds at the feeders and even a skittish male Black-chinned Hummingbird on the periphery.

Picture of a male Rufous Hummingbird hovering in flight
Male Rufous Hummingbird
Picture of a male Rufous Hummingbird perched on a feeder
Male Rufous Hummingbird on feeder

I came up to Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area looking for the Rufous Hummingbird. We had seen many immature/female Rufous Hummingbirds and Anna’s Hummingbirds this summer in Washington, Oregon and California.  But no clear view of an adult male Rufous. Finally, timing was right. Here were the male Rufous Hummingbirds, in the midst of the hummingbird migration.

Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area
Picture of Sipe Wildlife Area visitor center
Sipe Wildlife Area visitor center

Western hummingbirds migrate along the eastern side of Arizona in late July through August on their way down into Mexico.  Sipe White Mountain Wildlife Area is on the eastern edge of the state, near Eager and Alpine.

Picture of Sipe Wildlife Area visitor center entrance
Entrance to the Sipe Wildlife Area visitor center

It is a beautiful destination. Sipe does not show up on Google maps as of this post, so look at the text in Arizona Game and Fish online brochure here to find it.

Entrance is free, though donations toward sugar water are appreciated. A well maintained dirt road leads to the visitor center, which has friendly and knowledgable staff and regular hours. Since July/August is monsoon season, we check the weather and the current hours before we go.

Check out our hummingbird blog or return home.

Filed Under: Hummingbird Behavior, Hummingbird Pictures

Blue-throated Hummingbird

The Blue-throated Hummingbird is a big, loud hummingbird. At least, the Blue-throated Hummingbird is loud at the Southwestern Research Station feeding area during summer.

It is the largest hummingbird that migrates into the United States. When this bird is around the feeding station, you know it.

Side view picture of a Blue-Throated Hummingbird in flight
Blue-throated Hummingbird in flight

This hummer is a little bigger than a Magnificent Hummingbird, between 4.75 and 5.25 inches long*. The Blue-throated Hummingbird’s head is smaller relative to its body and its bill shorter than the Magnificent’s.

Male Blue-throated Hummingbird

Picture of a male Blue-throated Hummingbird perched on twigs, looking up
Male Blue-throated Hummingbird

As with many hummingbird species, a male’s feathers can make him look like a different bird in different light.  Here is a male Blue-throated Hummingbird with the light catching his bright blue gorget.

The Same Male Blue-throated Hummingbird

Picture of a Blue Throated Hummingbird perched on a twig
Here his gorget looks dull

This is the same bird. His posture was slightly different and the sun did not catch his gorget in the same way.

Blue-throated Hummingbird calls and wing sounds

http://www.hummingbirdpictures.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Blue-throated-Hummingbird-calls-and-wing-sounds-MP3-File.mp3

Click the arrow above to listen to the high pitched call and the low wing sound of a Blue-throated Hummingbird. (The wing sounds are at a very low pitch and easier to hear with headsets or ear buds.)

The male Blue-throateds are loud compared to other hummingbirds at the feeding stations (except for the wing trill of the male Broad-tailed). They seem more aggressive than the Magnificents when we have seen them together.

Big tail

Close up picture of a Blue-throated Hummingbird flying in side view
Blue-throated Hummingbird

The Blue-throateds often challenge each other, and other hummingbirds, flaring their tails and giving chase. Their tails seem very long and broad compared to the other hummingbirds.

(Note: the post originally included “wings” as long. After discussing hummingbird flight with Dr. Don Powers (hummingbird researcher), we have removed the reference to wings. Those wings seem huge but are basically in proportion with the bird’s larger size.)

See a Blue-throated Hummingbird

The Blue-throated Hummingbird likes wooded canyons. We have seen one or more of these hummingbirds in Miller Canyon and Cave Creek Canyon, and heard reports of them at Ramsey Canyon. Each of these canyons has a stream running through it, though the stream may not always flow. Miller and Ramsey Canyons are in the Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista, AZ. Cave Creek Canyon is in the Chiricachua Mountains.

We see them most often, and in greatest numbers, at the feeding stations in Cave Creek Canyon. We generally enter the canyon from Portal, AZ, on the eastern side of the Chirachua Mountains of southeastern Arizona.

Day time feeding stations:

  • Southwestern Research Station
  • Cave Creek Ranch

Check for open hours. Bring cash for a donation. Check the Arizona birding listserv and other birding sites to find out if the birds are there.

Also, check the weather for Portal, AZ before you drive out. The monsoons can be powerful.

Photos were taken in 2014 at feeding stations in Cave Creek Canyon, near Portal, Arizona.

Thanks for coming by. Check out some of our blog or return home.

*Source: Hummingbirds of North America by Sheri Williamson

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