{"id":1519,"date":"2015-04-06T23:13:25","date_gmt":"2015-04-07T03:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/sensoryecology\/?p=1519"},"modified":"2015-05-03T14:25:36","modified_gmt":"2015-05-03T18:25:36","slug":"the-ruby-throated-hummingbird-archilochus-colubris-draft-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pages.vassar.edu\/sensoryecology\/the-ruby-throated-hummingbird-archilochus-colubris-draft-1\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris): General Biology"},"content":{"rendered":"

IDENTIFICATION<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is a small member of the Trochilidae hummingbird family (Robinson et al., 2013). The plumage of both sexes is light gray on the underside and iridescent green on the dorsal side and crown. Males, which are slightly smaller in size than females, have a black eye bar and a patch of brilliant red on the throat that gives the species its name (Robinson et al., 2013). The species is distinguished by a tiny body, long slender beak, long brown wings, and a short forked tail. During flight,\u00a0its rapid wing movements create a humming sound and allow for rapid, agile movement.<\/p>\n

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Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird (photo by: Northrup, 2015)<\/p><\/div>\n

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Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (photo by: Magers)<\/p><\/div>\n

HABITAT<\/strong><\/p>\n

The breeding range of the Ruby-throated hummingbird extends east of the Mississippi to the Atlantic coast, and from the Gulf of Mexico up to southern Canada. In the winter, the hummingbird migrates to southern Mexico and Central America\u00a0(Sargent, 1999).<\/p>\n

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Seasonal distribution of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (photo by: Sohl)<\/p><\/div>\n

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the only hummingbird that breeds in the eastern United States (Sargent, 1999).<\/p>\n

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds prefer woodland habitats, specifically\u00a0mixed, deciduous, and pine forests in the summer, and tropical forests in the winter (Robinson et al., 2013). They exhibit flexibility in their habitat, as they can also populate scrub, marsh, open\u00a0field, and man-made places such as gardens, orchards, and fencerows (Sargent, 1999).<\/p>\n

FORAGING<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Like most hummingbirds, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird uses its long tongue to extract nectar from wildflowers. The Ruby-throated Hummingbird shows preference for red tubular flowers. These flowers rely on hummingbirds for pollination and are thought to have coevolved with them (Robinson et al., 2013). The Ruby-throated Hummingbird’s migration patterns correlate to the blooming of its preferred flowers (Sargent, 1999).<\/p>\n

As an omnivore, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird also feeds on insects, including mosquitoes, flies, and bees, and spiders and caterpillars (Sargent, 1999). It can unhinge its lower jaw to accommodate the size of the insects (Robinson et al., 2013).<\/p>\n

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The Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeds primarily on flower nectar and small insects (photo by: Stroud, 2005)<\/p><\/div>\n

When nectar is scarce, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeds from sap wells created by Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers; they also frequent artificial bird feeders containing sugary water (Sargent, 1999).<\/p>\n

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are territorial throughout the year, especially during the breeding season. Aside from mating, brooding, and territorial disputes, interactions between individuals rarely occur (Robinson et al., 2013).<\/p>\n