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Henry Sowell

Vol. I · Est. 2026

Pl. LXIV
Field-journal plate: Ruby-throated Hummingbird
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird plate as rendered on the e-ink frame
As rendered on the frame

The Birds · Plate LXIV

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

Trochilidae · Taxon 6432

Length2.8–3.5 in (7–9 cm)
Wingspan3.1–4.3 in (8–11 cm)
Weight0.1–0.2 oz (2–6 g)

Field marks

  1. Tiny, compact hummingbird with a long, slender, slightly downcurved dark bill.
  2. Bright emerald to golden-green crown and upperparts.
  3. Gray-white to whitish underparts, often with buffy flanks.
  4. Adult male has an iridescent ruby-red throat that can look dark in poor light; female lacks it.
  5. Short dark tail: forked in males; females show white tips on the outer tail feathers.
  6. Large dark eye, very short legs, and long, narrow wings adapted for hovering.

HabitatOpen woodlands and forest edges, including meadows, old fields, orchards, gardens, hedgerows, and scrub.

BehaviorHovers to feed, flies with rapid, precise movements, and catches small insects as well as taking nectar.

Palette

emerald greengolden greenruby redgray-whiteblack