Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Name Origin:
The genus Archilochus honors the Greek poet Archilochus, known for his sharp and agile style—fitting for this swift and precise flier. The species name colubris is a Latinized form of “colibri,” a general term for hummingbird from indigenous Caribbean languages.

Quick Facts

🪶 Length: 7.5–9 cm (3.0–3.5 in)
⚖️ Weight: ~2.0–3.5 g (0.07–0.12 oz)
🌎 Range: Breeds in eastern North America, winters in southern Mexico, Central America, and parts of the Caribbean
🧭 Elevation: Sea level to 2,000 m
🌸 Diet: Nectar and small insects
🏡 Habitat: Deciduous forest, woodland edge, gardens, and coastal scrub
🧬 Clade: Mellisugini (a.k.a. “bees”)
📊 Status: Least Concern (IUCN 2024)

Subspecies & Distribution

Monotypic — no subspecies recognized.

Species Overview

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only regularly occurring hummingbird in eastern North America and one of the most well-known. It migrates long distances, crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single flight. Males are unmistakable with a glowing ruby-red throat and iridescent green back, while females are more subtly colored but equally agile. They are quick to defend feeding spots and often outmaneuver larger birds at flowers and feeders.

Male Description:
Bright emerald-green upperparts, vibrant ruby-red gorget (black in shade), pale underparts, forked tail, and slender black bill.

Female Description:
Green above, whitish below with light gray flanks, rounded tail with white tips, and lacking the red throat.

Habitat & Behavior:
Common in open woodlands, gardens, parks, and forest edges. Forages at a wide variety of tubular flowers, as well as feeders, and gleans small insects from foliage or captures them mid-air. Highly territorial, especially during breeding season. Notable for its long-distance migration and rapid wingbeats that produce a faint hum.

Conservation Note:
Populations remain stable and widespread. However, threats include habitat loss on both breeding and wintering grounds, pesticide use, and collisions with windows during migration. The species has adapted well to backyard feeders and is widely monitored across North America.