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Family: Hummingbird
Size: About 8 – 9 cm
Longevity: It can live for about 3 to 5 years.
Habitat: It lives in forests, riverbanks, parks and gardens.
Food: Ruby-throated hummingbirds feed on small insects and nectar.
Did you know that the Ruby-throated Hummingbird is the smallest bird in the world that flies backwards and vertically? Its wings can beat at a rate of 70 beats per second.
Fun Fact
The Hummingbird is the only bird that can hover by flapping its wings. It moves at an incredible speed and can make very quick changes in direction, including backwards! This tiny bird can flap its wings at a rate of 55 to 75 times per second. This can sound like an insect buzzing by your ear.
Special Traits
The Ruby-throated hummingbird is just under 10 cm tall, that’s half the size of a soda can. Their eggs are also tiny, barely 1 cm long, half a dime piece. Only males have ruby-red throats. Males and females have bright green or golden green backs.
Life in the Marsh
The Ruby-throated hummingbird lives in meadows, parks, grasslands, and forests. This bird can be seen in the marsh and field feeding on the nectar of tube-shaped flowers and eating small flying insects. They are very fast, so pay attention to the loud hum of their wings and keep your eyes out for a flash of green and red!
Protection and Threats
Due to the tiny bodies of ruby-throated hummingbirds, storms, spider webs or even a hungry praying mantis pose a threat to the bird. To help the hummingbirds, you can put a feeder out with fresh boiled water and sugar mixture. The ratio of water to white sugar is 4:1. Make sure to change the mixture weekly and place the feeder in an open area away from windows.