Juvenile Ruby Throated Hummingbird Female

Feeders and flower gardens are great ways to attract these birds and some people turn their yards into buzzing clouds of hummingbirds each summer.

Juvenile ruby throated hummingbird female.

The differences in male female and juvenile ruby throated hummingbirds are subtle but if you know what to look for you can identify between the three fairly easily. Females are green above with rufous washed flanks rufous patches in the green tail and often a spot of orange in the throat. These brilliant tiny precision flying creatures glitter like jewels in the full sun then vanish with a zip toward the next nectar source. A flash of green and red the ruby throated hummingbird is eastern north america s sole breeding hummingbird.

Spencer follett macaulay library. The juvenile hummingbird may have green or black streaking and or one to several iridescent red feathers on the throat. Hundreds of kinds of hummingbirds nest in the american tropics and more than a dozen in the western u s but east of the great plains there is only the ruby throat. There it is fairly common in summer in open woods and gardens.

Older females occasionally have one or two black throat feathers below. Weight can range from 2 to 6 g 0 071 to 0 212 oz with males averaging 3 4 g 0 12 oz against the slightly larger female which averages 3 8 g 0 13 oz. Young birds may show a few red spots near the base of the throat and those spots will eventually become a full colorful gorget. It is the only species of hummingbird to breed in the eastern united states.

While females have very faint gray streaks on the throat juvenile male ruby throated hummingbirds have much bolder streaks that will gradually show the red iridescence characteristic of their fathers. Very very rarely they may have a single red feather on the throat. In good light male rufous hummingbirds glow like coals. Keep in mind that from the beginning to the middle of the hummingbird season mid april to mid july you won t be seeing any juvenile birds.

Note that young males see next section resemble females. Impressive migrants despite their small size some ruby throats may. Juvenile male ruby throated hummingbird hovering this hummingbird is from 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. Bright orange on the back and belly with a vivid iridescent red throat.