Male Juvenile Female Ruby Throated Hummingbird

A flash of green and red the ruby throated hummingbird is eastern north america s sole breeding hummingbird.

Male juvenile female ruby throated hummingbird.

Weight can range from 2 to 6 g 0 071 to 0 212 oz with males averaging 3 4 g 0 12 oz against the slightly larger female which averages 3 8 g 0 13 oz. This can make ageing and sexing difficult during summer and fall after young of the year have fledged. Juvenile male ruby throated hummingbird hovering this hummingbird is from 7 to 9 cm 2 8 to 3 5 in long and has an 8 to 11 cm 3 1 to 4 3 in wingspan. The male ruby throated hummingbird does indeed have a striking red throat though the female of the species does not.

These brilliant tiny precision flying creatures glitter like jewels in the full sun then vanish with a zip toward the next nectar source. Like the male the upperparts of the female ruby throated hummingbird are a shimmery. I e the adult male and adult female are different in external appearance. Like the male ruby throated hummingbird a white spot is easily visible behind the female s dark eye.

The auriculars of the female ruby throated hummingbird are distinctly gray though the amount of gray coloration can vary this contrasts well with the pale throat and green head. Keep in mind that from the beginning to the middle of the hummingbird season mid april to mid july you won t be seeing any juvenile birds. Adult ruby throated hummingbirds archilochus colubris are sexually dimorphic. However young males masquerade as females until their first winter at which time they attain adult male plumage.