Ruby-throated hummingbird

The first sign is a tiny, fearless blur at the feeder, usually in mid-May, as if someone had flicked a jewel across the garden. The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird that breeds in Manitoba, and the males arrive first, with the females following close behind. They spend the summer working bee balm and zinnias, guarding their favourite patch with a ferocity far out of proportion to their size.

A ruby-throat weighs roughly as much as a nickel. Its wings beat around 50 times a second, and in flight its heart can top 1,000 beats a minute. The red throat belongs to the males, and it only flashes when the light hits at the right angle; otherwise it looks dark. By late August and September they fatten up and leave, and some cross the Gulf of Mexico in a single non-stop flight of about 800 kilometres.

Male ruby-throated hummingbird hovering beside magenta bee balm flowers

Photos

  • Male ruby-throated hummingbird with a glowing orange-red throat perched on a feeder swing, wings raised
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird hovering with tail fanned to show white tips against a soft golden background
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird feeding at a red salvia flower with wings swept back
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird seen from the front, balanced above a coral zinnia with wings raised
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird hovering at an orange zinnia as pollen drifts in the air
  • Young ruby-throated hummingbird perched on a red wire
  • Male ruby-throated hummingbird hovering beside bee balm in a garden
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird hovering to feed at a red-orange zinnia
  • Female ruby-throated hummingbird perched on a bare branch against a dark green background
  • Male ruby-throated hummingbird with a red throat perched on an ornate iron plant hook
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird hovering with tail fanned beside red bee balm and a coneflower
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 1
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 2
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 3
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 4
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 5
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 6
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 7
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 8
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 10
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 11
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 13
  • Ruby-throated hummingbird photographed in Manitoba, 17

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