Ruby-throated Hummingbird Photo Gallery
Adult male
Tiny, with long wings and bill. Dusky below with a bright red throat, black mask, and green crown.
© Brian Kulvete / Macaulay LibraryConnecticut, May 03, 2018Female
Female is golden-green above and whitish below, lacking male's ruby throat.
© German Garcia / Macaulay LibraryMorelos, September 14, 2020Adult male
Tiny bird with emerald green back and brilliant red throat. The throat is iridescent and looks black or dark red, then lights up when viewed at the correct angle.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 01, 2004Not all videos have soundAdult male
Expert flier that can stop instantly, hover, and adjust its position up, down, or backwards with exquisite control.
© Jeremy Cohen / Macaulay LibraryWisconsin, August 03, 2020Adult male
In some light the throat of the adult male can appear black.
© Grace C / Macaulay LibraryVermont, May 16, 2020Female
Hovers with pinpoint precision, beating wings so fast they're almost invisible. Drinks nectar by probing flowers with long, thin bill.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryMissouri, January 01, 1997Not all videos have soundFemale
Feeds on a variety of flowering plants. Tiny, with long wings and bill. Mostly white below, with buffy flanks, a dusky mask, and green upperparts.
© bellemare celine / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, August 21, 2019Adult male
Upperparts bright metallic green, and short tail is black and forked.
© Joey Herron / Macaulay LibraryWest Virginia, June 29, 2017Female
Eats insects in addition to nectar, often plucking them from spiderwebs or taking them from a sapsucker's sap wells.
© Eric Liner / Macaulay LibraryNew York, June 10, 2006Not all videos have soundFemale
Upperparts bright metallic green, and short tail is mostly black with white tips to the outer feathers.
© Warren Lynn / Macaulay LibraryIndiana, July 15, 2015Immature male
Immature males have some red feathers on the throat.
© Dina Perry / Macaulay LibraryTexas, September 11, 2018Nest
Nestlings have shorter bills than adults. Nest is thimble-sized, made with spiderweb that stretches as the young birds grow.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryMissouri, June 01, 1999Not all videos have soundJuvenile
Uses long tongue to drink nectar from tubular flowers or sugar water from hummingbird feeders.
© Cam Nikkel / Macaulay LibraryManitoba, September 05, 2018Adult male
Sometimes perches prominently on exposed branches.
© Paul Bigelow / Macaulay LibraryNew York, May 19, 2017Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Hummingbirds(Order: Caprimulgiformes, Family: Trochilidae)
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