Ruby Throated Hummingbird

What plants in our garden are meant to support this species:

There are a number of flowering plants in our garden that the ruby-throated humming-bird can benefit from. These include: Swamp milkweed, Purple coneflower, Wild strawberry, Joe pye weed, Hoary vervain, Tall sunflower, False sunflower, Wild bergamot, Dense blazing star, New england aster, Culver’s root, Brown eyed susan, and Blue flag iris.

How those plant species are helpful to this stakeholder:

All these plants are great sources of nectar for the ruby throated humming-bird. They also attract other small insects that this humming-bird can eat.

Why we should care about this species:

Ruby Throated Humming-Birds are effective pollinators to North america. They pollinate over 30 plants across the continent.

Physical description:

Ruby throated humming-birds are around 9-10 cm long. Males are green on the top and sides, with a white underbelly and red throat. They have beaks 15-18mm in length while females have beaks ranging from 17-21mm long. Females look similar to the males but with a greyish belly, and a white throat, sometimes with a little red.

What sound it makes:

The ruby throated humming-bird has a sound like a series of short, high pitched chirps.

Habitat needs:

Ruby Throated Humming-Bird like hardwoods forest, woodlands, forest edges, gardens and parks as their habitat. They have their nests in trees and/or large shrubs 10 meters high at most.

Migration pattern:

Ruby throated hummingbirds fly south in the fall and north in the spring. The male Ruby throated hummingbirds migrate first, then the female humming birds and the young Ruby throated hummingbirds.

What it eats:

Ruby Throated Humming-Birds eat small insects and nectar.

Population status:

The population of the Ruby throated humming-bird is increasing slowly. They are not at risk.