Selasphorus rufus
The Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) is a compact and feisty member of the Trochilidae family, renowned for its remarkable migratory feats and aggressive territoriality. Males are easily identified by their brilliant, fiery orange-red iridescent gorget, rusty rufous back, flanks, and tail, sometimes accented with a small green patch on the crown or back. Females, while less vibrant, typically sport a green back, rufous washing on the flanks and base of the tail feathers, often with a fe...
These adaptable hummingbirds inhabit a variety of open and semi-open landscapes, including forest edges, clearings, mountain meadows, suburban gardens, and subalpine scrub, from sea level up to elevations of over 3,600 meters (12,000 feet).
The Rufous Hummingbird's diet consists mainly of nectar from various flowering plants, which they collect with their long, extendable tongues, and small insects such as gnats, mosquitoes, and aphids, caught in flight or gleaned from vegetation.
Rufous Hummingbirds are intensely diurnal, exhibiting ceaseless activity from dawn until dusk, constantly foraging and vigorously defending their territories. Their foraging strategy primarily involves sipping nectar from a wide array of tubular flowers and artificial feeders, supplemented by haw...
The Rufous Hummingbird exhibits an extensive migratory range across North America. Its breeding grounds stretch from southeastern Alaska, through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, extending south into northern California and parts of Wyoming. After breeding, they undertake...
Least Concern
- The Rufous Hummingbird undertakes one of the longest migrations of any bird, relative to its size, traveling up to 4,000 miles (6,400 km) from Alaska to Mexico. - Despite their tiny size, they are notoriously aggressive, often chasing away much larger birds, including hawks, from their territor...