Over 350 species of hummingbirds have been documented in the New World; their only home address on the planet. Yet, in the Blue Ridge, we see but one – the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.
Mike Blevins
They are dispersed across various ecosystems from Alaska to the islands off the southern tip of South America. Seventeen species regularly nest in the United States. From April through October the bejeweled Ruby-throated Hummingbird visits our area for nesting before returning to the southern tip of Florida, Mexico, Central America and Caribbean islands for the winter months.
Hummingbirds are the tiniest avians in the world and lay the smallest eggs (pea-sized). These masters of flight also win the prize for agility. They are the only vertebrates able to fly backward, hover in place and even fly upside down! Their wings create power in both up and down movements: Beating between 70 and 200 times per second.
With a flying heart rate of 1200 beats-per-minute, they’ve been clocked at speeds of 45 mph during courtship displays. Males will challenge each other over territory and resources. This usually means chasing, buzzing and chirping with their tail feathers flared. Despite the apparent intensity, these “battles” rarely result in injury to either party.
Female Ruby-throated Hummingbirds build the nests and raise the young – usually a clutch of two eggs. The babies will stay in the nest for three weeks and cannot fly during this time. Once they fledge as fully formed adults, the female shows them all the best food sources for the first few days. Then, she chases them away so they can survive on their own.
Fun Facts
Hummingbirds can see and hear better than humans, have a body temp of 107°F, 30% of their weight is flight muscles and they can live up to 10 years.
Prior to migration, they double their body weight, visiting an average of 1,000 flowers per day. Our Ruby-throats are known to fly 18-20 hours straight to cross 500 miles of open water in the Gulf of Mexico.
How to Identify a Ruby-throated Hummingbird
This tiny emerald-green speedster with grayish-white underparts is an easy one to recognize! Only the males have the brilliantly iridescent red throat (which may appear black if the light is not just right).
Ruby-throated Hummingbird Habitat
Open woodlands, flowering gardens, suburbs.
Conservation Note
Some regions have seen a decline in numbers thought to be attributable to climate change affecting bloom times. To assist, consider adding a hummingbird feeder along with native plants to your backyard. For the latter, flora with tubular blooms are a favorite: bee balm, cardinal flower, coral honeysuckle, trumpet creeper, wild columbine, and others. To provide for their high metabolism needs, offer a 1:4 table sugar to water ratio in a red feeder. No dye or food coloring is necessary (and is NOT recommended) in the food. Keep the mixture clear, changing often as cloudy liquid could be fermented and toxic. Multiple smaller feeders, rather than one large one, helps with this issue and might even reduce competition.
ABOUT THIS SERIES:
“Birds of the Blue Ridge” showcases frequently seen and rare birds across the southern Appalachian region. For over four decades, Angela Minor has traveled with binoculars and field guides across the continental U.S., Alaska, the Caribbean and seven European countries. She is a contributing editor with BRC magazine and a freelance writer, penning travel and nature feature articles for several regional and national print publications. Angela created and authored the state park birding series for Bird Watcher’s Digest.
Read More by Angela Minor: BlueRidgeCountry.com/AngelaMinor