Ruby Throated Hummingbird

kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Chordata

class- Aves

family - Trochilidae

order- Apodiformes

genus - Archilochus

species - Colubris

Description

Point key Characteristics of Species - Bright Emerald or Golden Green on the Back and crown, with Gray-white Underparts
size- 7 to 9 cm (2.8 to 3.5 in) long and has an 8 to 11 cm (3.1 to 4.3 in ) wingspan
weight - 0.11 oz
life span - 3- 5 years
Difference between Male and Female- Adult male hummingbirds of Course have ruby Throat but it is not always red. Females have a white throat that is sometimes marked with faint grey and buffy streaking

Evolution

All Subspecies - none
How long has Ruby Throated Hummingbirds been in Existence - 45-55 million years ago
closest living relative to Ruby Throated Hummingbirds - Swifts
3 ancestors of Ruby Throated Hummingbirds- earliest ancestors are swift like but certainly don't know what they are.

Description Of the Habitat

How much Rainfall - 46 inches a year
plants- wildflowers such as trumpet honeysuckle , scarlet bee balm , lemon bee balm
Animals - blue jay, eastern bluebird, american toad
Temperature - 56 degrees
Terrain - woodland groves in predominantly agricultural regions.

Distribuation

continents found- The ruby throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubrids) is a tiny colorful bird found in North America.
Invasive at all - no

Diet

what do they exactly eat - spiders and tiny insects such as flies , gnats and aphids, nector feeders
How often do they eat- about every 10 minutes
How does it get its food - forages while hovering airborne, indavertently collecting pollen and its feathers and bill before darting off to its next meal
Any special foods- no

social structure

live in packs or solo- solo
roles within community- pollination of the flowers of numerous species of shrubs and vines
male or female led groups - males
individuals that make up the group -
How do they interact with each other- chittering, and other vocalizations and by flying toward one another aggressively, to chase each other away.

Reproduction

How often do they mate- up to 3 broods each year
How many mates do they have - one male mates with many females
time of year for mating - Ruby-throated hummingbirds breed between March and July, with mid-May being the height of the breeding season.
mating rituals - male flies back and forth in front of female in wide U-shaped "pendulum" arc, making a whirring sound on each dive. Also buzzes back and forth in short passes in front of perched female.
Number of offspring produces at a time- two tiny white eggs
Any unique characteristics of their mating- A mating system where there are no pair bonds. In this case is seems that males and females mate randomly.

Development

Stages of development - egg, chick, adults
How old before Sexual Maternity -1 year
Activities and environment of stages - egg and chick in nest and adult in wild
Difference between males and Females-Adult male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds (above left) have pointed rectrices (tail feathers) that are all dark with no white tips. Females of any age--have white tips on the outer three rectrices on each side; each feather is rounded and the tail is fan-shaped.

Causes of Death

predation - owls, grackles, blue jays, herons, tanagers, loggerhead shrikes and even gulls.
Sexual Competition - Each male tries to mate with as many females as possible
Disease- aspergillosis, candidiasis, avian poxvirus and salmonellosis
other Causes - starvation, lack of appropriate habitat and predators

Competition

Inter species - within the species - They interact and compete with them for the nector
Intra species - within other species - they interact with the Hawkmoth for the plants shared within the birds
what do they compete over - bees and hawkmoth
Affect of invasive species - more than 7000 plant species rely on hummingbirds for pollination.

IUCN Rating

Impact of Humans

What impacts have occurred - Habitat loss and pesticides
Potential Future impacts- no known adverse affects
How long have humans been interacting with species- 5-9 years
Efforts being made to minimize impacts- setting up hummingbird feeders or by planting tubular flowers.

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