Birds: Ruby Throated Hummingbird

Ruby throated hummingbird male by Curt Hart. Ruby throated hummingbird female by Averralikesramen
Male on the left and female on the right.
Images from Curt Hart and Averralikesramen

Ruby Throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Description:The Ruby-Throated Hummingbird is 7–9 cm (2.8–3.5 in) long and has a 8–11 cm (3.1–4.3 in) wingspan. Weight can range from 2 to 6 g (0.071 to 0.21 oz), with males averaging 3.4 g (0.12 oz) against the slightly larger female which averages 3.8 g (0.13 oz).[3][4] Adults are metallic green above and greyish white below, with near-black wings. Their bill, at up to 2 cm (0.79 in), is long, straight and very slender. As in all hummingbirds, the toes and feet of this species are quite small, with a middle toe of around 0.6 cm (0.24 in) and a tarsus of approximately 0.4 cm (0.16 in). The Ruby-throated Hummingbird can only shuffle if it wants to move along a branch, though it can scratch its head and neck with its feet.[1][2]

The species is sexually dimorphic.[3] The adult male,has a ruby red throat patch, also known as a gorget which may appear black in some lighting, and a dark forked tail. The female has a dark rounded tail with white tips and generally no throat patch, though she may sometimes have a light or whitish throat patch. The male is smaller than the female, and has a slightly shorter beak. A molt of feathers occurs once a year, and begins during the autumn migration.

Distribution:
Primarily an Eastern United States species.

1^ a b c d "Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Life History, All About Birds - Cornell Lab of Ornithology". Allaboutbirds.org. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
2^ "John James Audubon's Description of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird". Rubythroat.org. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
3^ "Hummingbird: external appearance, ageing, sexing". Ruby-Throat.org. Retrieved 13 June 2011.

Content originated from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird