Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) lives in open forest and meadow across Western North America and overwinter in Mexico. Its conservation status is Near Threatened.
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A real field recording of the Rufous Hummingbird, made in the wild.
The rufous hummingbird undertakes a migration of more than 3,200 km between its breeding grounds in north-western North America and its wintering woods in the Mexican state of Guerrero. This journey is remarkable because the bird weighs only 3 to 4 g, making the long overland flight a prodigious effort for such a tiny animal.
When a rufous hummingbird hovers, about three-quarters of the lift needed to stay aloft is generated during the downstroke of the wings, with the remaining quarter coming from the upstroke. This proportion was determined using digital imaging velocimetry to analyse the bird's wing movements in detail. The reliance on the downstroke reflects the bird's specialised flight mechanics that enable it to hover efficiently while feeding on nectar.
During periods without food, a rufous hummingbird oxidises fatty acids to meet the energy demands of hovering flight. After it feeds on flower nectar, the bird can rapidly switch its metabolism to use carbohydrates, completing the transition in roughly 40 minutes. This quick metabolic shift allows the hummingbird to take advantage of the high-energy nectar while still being able to sustain flight when food is scarce.
The rufous hummingbird breeds in open areas, mountainsides and forest edges across western North America, from southern Alaska through British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest down to California. It nests farther north in Alaska than any other hummingbird, making it the most northerly-breeding species on the continent. The female constructs a protected nest in a shrub or conifer, securing the tiny clutch in these cool, high-latitude habitats.
Male rufous hummingbirds have shorter wings than females, which raises the energy cost of hovering for them. This wing shape lets the males beat their wings at very high frequencies, a capability that enables rapid chases and attacks on rivals defending flower-rich territories. Their aggressive defence of dense flower patches forces females into larger, sparsely flowered areas, highlighting the sexual dimorphism in flight strategy.
Sources
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RangeWestern North America and overwinter in Mexico
HabitatOpen forest and meadow
DietNectar & insects
About the Rufous Hummingbird
As the Rufous Hummingbird darts through the sun-dappled underbrush, its iridescent feathers flashing like embers, it embodies the very essence of kinetic energy, its tiny wings beating at a hypnotic pace of up to 80 times per second. With a fearless abandon, it plunges into the densest thickets, its long, extendable tongue probing the deepest recesses of flowers in search of sweet nectar, its bright, inquisitive eyes drinking in the vibrant hues of its surroundings. In its migratory journeys, spanning thousands of miles from Alaska to Mexico, this diminutive bird showcases an unwavering resilience, a testament to the unyielding spirit of a creature that refuses to be diminished by its petite stature.
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