Rufous Hummingbird Enjoying a Warm Summer Day

The Rufous Hummingbird makes one of the longest migratory journeys of any bird in the world, as measured by body size. At just over 3 inches long, its roughly 3,900-mile movement (one-way) from Alaska to Mexico is equivalent to 78,470,000 body lengths. In comparison, the 13-inch-long Arctic Tern’s one-way flight of about 11,185 mi is only 51,430,000 body lengths.
The Rufous Hummingbird has an excellent memory for location, no doubt helping it find flowers from day to day, or even year to year. Some birds have been seen returning from migration and investigating where a feeder had been the previous year, even though it had since been moved.
Rufous Hummingbirds, like most other hummingbirds, beat their wings extremely fast to be able to hover in place. The wingbeat frequency of Rufous Hummingbirds has been recorded at 52–62 wingbeats per second.

RUFOUS-HUMMINGBIRD ENJOYING NECTAR IN THE SPRING OF 2023

These are considered one of the feistiest hummingbird in North America. The brilliant orange male and the green-and-orange female Rufous Hummingbird are relentless attackers at flowers and feeders, going after even the large hummingbirds of the Southwest, which can be double their weight. Rufous Hummingbirds are wide-ranging, and breed farther north than any other hummingbird. Look for them in spring in California, summer in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, and fall in the Rocky Mountains as they make their annual circuit of the West.

Rufous Hummingbird

These Rufous hummingbirds are a small hummingbird, about 8 cm long with a long, straight and slender bill. These birds are known for their extraordinary flight skills, flying 2,000 mi during their migratory transits.

The male Rufous, glowing like new copper penny, often defends a patch of flowers in a mountain meadow, vigorously chasing away all intruders (including larger birds).

The Rufous also nests farther north than any other hummingbird: up to south-central Alaska. Of the various typically western hummingbirds, this is the one that wanders most often to eastern North America, with many now found east of the Mississippi every fall and winter.

Rufous Hummingbird

Rufous Hummingbird on a rainy day

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD

Rufous Hummingbird -Modjeska Canyon-California

Beautiful Hummingbird in Flight

Hummingbirds

Here are the hummingbirds that visited yesterday. We also saw a male and female black-chinned hummingbird. (Not at the feeder) Also. the shimmery part of a male hummingbird’s throat is called a gorget.

Rufous Hummingbird is back!

Rufous is back!
See more pictures of Rufous on eBird:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S117446941
https://ebird.org/checklist/S117392750

Rufous Hummingbird at our feeder!

Young male Rufous Hummingbird at our feeder! He’s been here 6 times so far!

Time to fly the coop!

Rufous hummingbird siblings have outgrown their nest and are ready to fledge.

Rufous Hummingbird Nest

This is just outside my front door and she has been sitting on her nest for past two days. This nest is on a vine hanging down from under roof eaves.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Cornell Lab of Ornithology