rufous hummingbird
**1. Bird Name**
English name: Rufous Hummingbird
Scientific name: Selasphorus rufus
**2. Appearance**
Rufous hummingbirds, as the name suggests, are best known for their brilliant reddish-brown or ‘rufous’ plumage. The males are more striking with a glowing orange-red throat that glistens under sunlight, creating a mesmerizing sight. They also don an emerald green patch on their back. Females are comparatively subdued, with a greenish upper part and white underparts spotted with rufous or green. You may also notice faint streaks of red on their throat.
Uniquely equipped for their nectar-feeding lifestyle, these hummingbirds possess long, slender bills and a nearly straight shape which aids in the extraction of nectar from flowers. Their eyes, though small, glimmer with a fierce, black shine.
**3. Size**
The Rufous Hummingbird is a small creature, measuring only 7 to 9 cm in length full-grown. It boasts a wingspan that averages between 11 and 12 cm. The bird’s weight usually ranges between 2 to 5 grams.
**4. Habitat & Distribution**
Rufous Hummingbirds are commonly found in North America. Their breeding grounds span across southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, and Alberta, stretching to the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountain region. Post-breeding, they migrate to warmer areas like Mexico and the Gulf Coast.
Commonly seen in open wooded areas, suburban gardens, meadows, and brushy edges, these birds show a preference for shrubby habitats, often in mountainous regions.
**5. Interesting Facts**
A peculiar fact about Rufous Hummingbirds is their extraordinarily long migratory journeys. Despite their small size, they cover a stretch of about 3,900 miles from Alaska to Mexico and back each year, which is a remarkable feat.
They are also incredibly agile and territorial, seldom hesitating to defend their feeding grounds from larger birds or even their own kind.
**6. Diet**
Primarily, Rufous Hummingbirds consume nectar from flowers. They have an affinity for red or orange flowers like columbines and lilies. However, their diet also includes small insects and spiders, tree sap, and they are known to occasionally indulge in sugar-water mixtures from bird-feeders as well.
**7. Behavior & Sounds**
Rufous hummingbirds are well-known for their aerobatic displays of speedy flight. Their wings beat rapidly when they hover or dive in the air, producing a distinctive buzzing sound. Males are known for their elaborate courtship display, boldly diving in a U-shaped pattern around the females.
These little birds emit a rapid chittering sound which changes to a softer ‘zeep’ when they are startled or excited.
**8. Conservation Status**
Having experienced moderate population decline in recent years, the Rufous Hummingbird is currently classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List.
**9. Lifespan**
The average lifespan of Rufous Hummingbirds in the wild is around 3 to 5 years. However, some individuals have been reported to live up to 8 years.
**10. Additional Notes**
In several Native American cultures, Rufous hummingbird is billed as a symbol of love, joy and beauty, often featuring in folklore and artistic representations.
In terms of their ecological role, Rufous Hummingbirds are critical pollinators, helping flowers reproduce as they move from bloom to bloom sipping nectar. They also have a significant role in controlling insect populations.
Their interaction with humans is most often seen in gardens where they are frequent visitors of bird-feeders and flowering plants. Their aggressive, territorial behavior can pose a challenge for bird-watchers and researchers attempting to observe or study them at close quarters.
