Rufous Hummingbird

Selasphorus rufusOrder: APODIFORMES Family: Hummingbirds (Trochilidae)

Codes: Common Name: RUHU Scientific Name: SELRUF ITIS Taxonomic No.: 178040

Rufous Hummingbird: The male Rufous Hummingbird has rufous cap, upperparts, belly, nape, and face. The breast and ear patch are white and the throat is bright red-orange. Rounded tail is rufous with black edges.

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Overview

Rufous Hummingbird: Medium hummingbird, bright rufous-brown overall with white breast and ear patch, red-orange throat, and green shoulders. Rounded tail is rufous with black edges. Some males show green on back and head. Feeds on insects and nectar. Direct and hovering flight with rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat

Rufous Hummingbird: Breeds from southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, and western Montana south to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California. Spends winters mainly in Mexico and occurs in small numbers along the Gulf Coast during migration and in winter. Preferred habitats include forests, riparian shrub, lowland stream bottoms, foothill brushlands, coasts, and high-mountain meadows.

Topo Map: Hummingbird-like Body

Listen to Call

Similar Sounding

Voice Text

"zeee"

Interesting Facts

The Rufous Hummingbird has the longest migration route of all North American hummingbirds.

With sufficient food and shelter, this species has been known to survive in temperatures well below freezing.

This bird has an excellent memory for location. They have been observed investigating where an absent feeder was located the previous year.

A group of hummingbirds has many collective nouns, including a “bouquet", "glittering", "hover", "shimmer", and "tune” of hummingbirds.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

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Artist

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Rufous Hummingbird

● Song: "zeee"

● Foraging & Feeding: Rufous Hummingbird: Eats mostly nectar, but also sap from sapsucker wells, insects, and spiders. Attracted to honeysuckle, scarlet sage, horsemint, and black locust; also red, tubular flowers. Consumes up to 3 times its body weight daily.

● Breeding & nesting: Rufous Hummingbird: Two white eggs are laid in a lichen-covered cup nest made of plant down and spider webs, attached to a horizontal branch. Incubation ranges from 12 to 14 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Rufous Hummingbird: Allen's Hummingbird has a green back and slightly decurved bill; females are very difficult to distinguish.

Flight Pattern

Hovers when feeding.

● Range & Habitat: Rufous Hummingbird: Breeds from southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, and western Montana south to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California. Spends winters mainly in Mexico and occurs in small numbers along the Gulf Coast during migration and in winter. Preferred habitats include forests, riparian shrub, lowland stream bottoms, foothill brushlands, coasts, and high-mountain meadows.

^BreedingPolygamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationAbundant

^MigrationMigratory

^Weight0.1 Ounces

Hummingbird-like Body

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Ear patch

Consists of soft, loose-webbed feathers on the side of the bird's head below and behind the eyes.

Riparian

Relating to or living or located on the bank of a natural watercourse (as a river) or sometimes of a lake or a tidewater.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America