Rufous Hummingbird

Overview
Rufous Hummingbird: Medium hummingbird, bright rufous-brown overall with white breast and ear patch, red-orange throat, and green shoulders. Rounded tail is rufous with black edges. Some males show green on back and head. Feeds on insects and nectar. Direct and hovering flight with rapid wing beats.

Range and Habitat
Rufous Hummingbird: Breeds from southeastern Alaska, British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, and western Montana south to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and northern California. Winters mainly in Mexico and occurs in small numbers along the Gulf Coast during migration and in winter. Prefers forests, riparian shrub, lowland stream, foothill brush lands, coasts, and high-mountain meadows.

The Rufous Hummingbird is a small hummingbird which prefers to breed in open land areas or edges of woodlands in western North America, including southern Alaska and California. This species nests further north than any other species of hummingbird in the world. Nests are well-hidden in shrubs or conifers, and are defended by males. The Rufous Hummingbird migrates to the Rocky Mountains and lowlands to feed off of the wildflowers found there in the winter months. Destinations for winter homes are found in Mexico. Diets consist of mainly nectar of colorful flowers and small insects. The conservation rating of the Rufous Hummingbird is Least Concern.

INTERESTING FACTS
The Rufous Hummingbird has the longest migration route of all North American hummingbirds. This bird has an excellent memory for location. They have been observed investigating where an absent feeder was located the previous year. With sufficient food and shelter, this species has been known to survive in temperatures well below freezing. A group of hummingbirds has many collective nouns, including a “bouquet", "glittering", "hover", "shimmer", and "tune” of hummingbirds.