What classification is a ruby-throated hummingbird?

The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a small hummingbird that is the only breeding hummingbird in eastern North America. Here is a quick overview of the ruby-throated hummingbird’s classification:

Kingdom

The ruby-throated hummingbird belongs to the kingdom Animalia. All hummingbirds are animals, meaning they are multicellular, heterotrophic organisms that obtain nutrition by ingesting other organisms. The cells of animals are not bound by cell walls.

Phylum

The ruby-throated hummingbird belongs to the phylum Chordata. All chordates are deuterostomes, meaning their first opening in embryonic development becomes the anus while the second opening becomes the mouth. They also all have a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a muscular post-anal tail at some point during their development.

Class

The ruby-throated hummingbird belongs to the class Aves. This class contains all birds. Birds are warm-blooded vertebrates that lay eggs, have feathers, wings, and light skeletal systems. All birds have beaks and most birds have the ability to fly.

Order

The ruby-throated hummingbird belongs to the order Apodiformes. Birds in this order are known as swifts and hummingbirds. They share several common characteristics including small size, rapid flight, short legs used primarily for perching, and very small bills. There are around 450 species in this order.

Family

The ruby-throated hummingbird belongs to the family Trochilidae. This family contains all hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are found only in the Americas. They get their name from the characteristic hum made by their rapid wing beats. Hummingbirds have the ability to hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings 12-80 times per second. Their extremely rapid metabolisms require them to feed frequently.

Genus and Species

The ruby-throated hummingbird’s scientific name is Archilochus colubris. This indicates its genus (Archilochus) and specific epithet (colubris). There are over 300 different species in the hummingbird family Trochilidae. The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only member of its genus Archilochus. However, there are several other hummingbird species within the genus Selasphorus that are similar in appearance.

Key Characteristics

Here are some of the key identifying characteristics of the ruby-throated hummingbird:

• Small size – Adults range from 2.8-3.5 inches in length with a 3.1-4.3 inch wingspan
• Green back
• White breast
• Forked tail
• Long bill
• Ruby red throat (males only)
• High-pitched rapid wingbeats while flying
• Ability to hover and fly backwards
• Tiny feet used only for perching

Geographic Range

The ruby-throated hummingbird has the largest breeding range of any hummingbird in North America. Its breeding range extends across much of the eastern United States and Canada during the summer months.

In the summer, ruby-throated hummingbirds are found across eastern North America from southern Canada south to Florida and west to the Mississippi River and parts of the Midwest. They migrate south to Mexico and Central America for the winter. Some western populations may migrate as far south as Panama.

Breeding Range

During the breeding months of spring and summer, the ruby-throated hummingbird primarily resides in the eastern United States and southern Canada. Its breeding range extends north up into Canada including:

• Ontario
• Quebec
• New Brunswick
• Nova Scotia

The ruby-throated hummingbird’s breeding range extends south throughout the eastern United States including states such as:

• Wisconsin
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Iowa
• Missouri
• Arkansas
• Louisiana
• Alabama
• Georgia
• Florida
• South Carolina
• North Carolina
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Maryland
• Delaware
• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• New York
• Connecticut
• Rhode Island
• Massachusetts
• Vermont
• New Hampshire
• Maine

Winter Range

In the winter months, nearly the entire North American population of ruby-throated hummingbirds migrates to Mexico, Central America, and sometimes as far south as Panama. Their winter range includes:

• Southern Mexico
• Belize
• Guatemala
• El Salvador
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Costa Rica
• Panama

Some small isolated populations may overwinter in southern Florida and other gulf coast states. But the vast majority head to tropical wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America.

Habitat

During the breeding season, ruby-throated hummingbirds are found in a variety of semi-open habitats with flowering plants, including:

• Woodland edges
• Open woodlands
• Orchards
• Suburbs and gardens
• Parks and pastures

They prefer areas with a water source nearby such as marshes, streams, or ponds. On their tropical wintering grounds, they primarily inhabit tropical evergreen and deciduous forests, forest edges, and open areas with flowering plants.

Migration

The ruby-throated hummingbird is one of the most remarkable migratory birds. Their tiny size belies their incredible endurance on migration. Some key facts about their migration include:

• Round trip migration up to 4000 miles
• Fly 500 miles nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico
• Travel up to 35 miles per hour
• Burn calories very rapidly, requiring frequent feeding
• Migrate south to Mexico and Central America in September
• Return in April and May to breeding grounds

Their migration is an incredibly strenuous feat of endurance for such a tiny bird. They nearly double their weight before migration in order to add fat reserves to fuel the journey. While flying, their wings beat up to an astonishing 80 times per second.

Diet

Ruby-throated hummingbirds have a diet primarily consisting of nectar and insects. Key facts about their diet include:

• Drink nectar from long tubular flowers using their specialized long tongue
• Favorite nectar sources include columbines, trumpet creeper, jewelweed, impatiens, bee balm
• Consume up to half their weight in nectar daily
• Supplement diet with protein from small insects like fruit flies, gnats, aphids, spiders
• Preferred method is hawking, catching insects in midair
• Also glean insects from leaves and branches

Their extremely high metabolism requires them to consume up to half their body weight in nectar each day. They are specially adapted to extract energy-rich nectar from flowers with their long bills and tongues.

Behavior and Life Cycle

Here are some key facts about the behavior and breeding life cycle of ruby-throated hummingbirds:

• Solitary – Males and females pair up only for mating
• Males attract females with courtship displays
• Build tiny cup-shaped nests high in trees using spider silk and lichen
• Females lay 1-3 tiny white eggs and incubate them 14-16 days
• Chicks hatch with eyes sealed shut, open in 8-10 days
• Chicks fledge and leave nest at 18-22 days old
• Female feeds the chicks with regurgitated insects
• Multiple broods per breeding season from April to August
• Life span 3-5 years in wild, 10+ years in captivity

The tiny ruby-throat nests are only about 1.5 inches wide and consist of spider silk woven around a base of lichen or moss. The female incubates the eggs and cares for the chicks on her own with no assistance from the male.

Taxonomy

Here is the complete taxonomic classification of the ruby-throated hummingbird from most broad to most specific:

Conclusion

In summary, the ruby-throated hummingbird is a small migratory hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. Some of its key identifying traits include its small size, iridescent red throat, and rapid wing beats. It is the only hummingbird that breeds in eastern North America. Ruby-throats have a high metabolism and feed on nectar and insects. Their migratory endurance is remarkable considering their tiny size. With this overview of its classification, characteristics, range, behavior, and more, it is clear the ruby-throated hummingbird is a unique and iconic North American bird.