Bird guide · Archilochus colubris
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
What the ruby-throated hummingbird eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Migrant; winters from Mexico to Costa Rica or Panama.
- Size
- 3.2 in (8 cm)
- Eats
- nectar (sugar water, no red dye)
- Feeds
- nectar feeder
- Most common
- Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana
Food
What do ruby-throated hummingbirds eat?
At feeders, ruby-throated hummingbirds take nectar (sugar water, no red dye).
At feeders it may hover or perch.
Feeder that suits it
A hummingbird nectar feeder with one part sugar to four parts water.
Range
Where do ruby-throated hummingbirds live?
The only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. By share of all bird sightings, ruby-throated hummingbirds are most common in Arkansas (0.9%).
States where ruby-throated hummingbirds are most common
- Arkansas0.9%
- Missouri0.9%
- Louisiana0.9%
- Alabama0.9%
- Georgia0.8%
- Tennessee0.8%
- North Carolina0.8%
- Kentucky0.7%
- Mississippi0.7%
- Vermont0.7%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are ruby-throated hummingbirds, 2019–2024.
Season
When can you see the ruby-throated hummingbird?
Migrant; winters from Mexico to Costa Rica or Panama.. Across the US, sightings start in March, peak in August and fade out in October.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are ruby-throated hummingbirds, by month.
Identification
How to identify the ruby-throated hummingbird
Male: Metallic green back and an iridescent ruby throat that looks black in most light; forked black tail.
Female: Dull greyish-white throat, golden-green above, whitish below, white tips on outer tail feathers.
Size: 3.2 in (8 cm)
Easily confused with
- Black-chinned Hummingbird – females almost identical; western range
On camera
Getting the ruby-throated hummingbird on a feeder camera
You need a hummingbird feeder camera – hummingbirds never visit seed feeders. See feeder cameras compared for the nectar models.
Questions
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: questions
What do ruby-throated hummingbirds eat?
At feeders, nectar (sugar water, no red dye).
Do ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate?
Migrant; winters from Mexico to Costa Rica or Panama.. Across the US, sightings start in March, peak in August and fade out in October.
Where do ruby-throated hummingbirds live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia. They are rare or absent in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho.
What does a female ruby-throated hummingbird look like?
Dull greyish-white throat, golden-green above, whitish below, white tips on outer tail feathers.