Field Guide/Birds/Archilochus colubris

From Pathfinder Wiki
Revision as of 23:45, 27 January 2006 by 68.148.198.0 (talk) (removed poem, offtopic.)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Template:Taxobox begin Template:Taxobox image Template:Taxobox begin placement Template:Taxobox regnum entry Template:Taxobox phylum entry Template:Taxobox classis entry Template:Taxobox ordo entry Template:Taxobox familia entry Template:Taxobox genus entry Template:Taxobox species entry Template:Taxobox end placement Template:Taxobox section binomial parens Template:Taxobox end

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris, is a small hummingbird. It is 7-9 cm long with a 8-11 cm wingspan, and weighs 2-6 g.

Adults are metallic green above and greyish white below. Their bill is long, straight and very slender. The adult male, shown in the photo, has a glossy ruby red throat patch and a dark forked tail. The female has a dark rounded tail with white tips and no throat patch, though she may sometimes show light spotting on her throat.

The breeding habitat is open areas throughout most of eastern North America and the Canadian prairies. The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or tree. Both males and females of any age aggressively defend feeding locations within his or her territory. The agressiveness becomes most pronounced in late summer to early fall as they fatten up for migration.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is migratory, spending most of the winter in Mexico or Central America.

These birds feed on nectar from flowers and flowering trees using a long extendable tongue or catch insects on the wing.

Due to their small size, they are vulnerable to insect-eating birds and animals. These birds require frequent feeding while active during the day and sometimes become torpid at night to conserve energy. This is the only hummingbird commonly found in eastern North America.

Females lay two white eggs the size of navy beans!

External links

da:Rubinstrube de:Rubinkehlkolibri fr:Colibri à gorge rubis