Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Crossing the Gulf of Mexico in a single nonstop flight on migration, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird weighs barely 3 grams yet ranges from southern Canada to the Gulf Coast in summer and winters in Central America and southern Mexico. Metallic green above and greyish-white below, the male bears a brilliant iridescent ruby gorget that can appear black in poor light; the female lacks it. It feeds on nectar from tubular flowers — visiting more than a thousand blooms a day — supplemented with small insects and spiders for protein. Cup nests hold two eggs, incubated for about 16 days, with young fledging between 15 and 28 days. Its wingbeats produce the audible high-pitched hum that gives the family its name. The species is classified as Least Concern.