EC 1570 • November 2004 $1.00 Rufous Hummingbird Selasphorus rufus by J.M. Jones and S. Sells ummingbirds are among the small- meadows. Hummingbirds fl y for several est birds in the world, only 3 to hours before stopping for as long as a 1 H4 inches long and about ⁄10 ounce. week to rest and replenish their energy. They may be small, but these beautiful Hummingbirds may live up to 5 years birds are easy to see and fun to watch. or more. They are able to live this long Hummingbirds feed on nectar and partly because they can slow down their small insects. They get most of their water bodies at night and in cold weather. At from nectar. these times, they go into a trancelike state Rufous hummingbirds migrate to warm and may seem to be dead because they climates in the fall because there is no are stiff and may not breathe. This state is nectar in northern climates during the called torpor. fall and winter. From February through During the day, a hummingbirdʼs heart May, they travel from Mexico to North beats more than 1,200 times per minute, America, fl ying almost exclusively along and the birds need to feed about every the West Coast. The trip is timed with the 10 minutes. During torpor, their heart rate blooming of manzanita, whose nectar is can slow to 50 beats per minute, slower one of their favorite foods. than most humansʼ. If you fi nd a hum- The fall, or southern, migration follows mingbird that looks dead, leave it alone a different route, from June through because it may only be in a torpor state. October. It leads through the Rocky Despite their ability to go into a state of Mountains, where the birds stop in Sep- torpor in cold weather, weather probably tember to feed on fl owers in mountain is the main threat to hummingbirds. They cannot survive long if they are caught by bad weather during migration, nor can they survive in very wet or dry spells. If fl owers die in the heat, hummingbirds may not get enough food. Hummingbirds also face other threats. Cats may pounce on them, which is one reason it is best to keep cats indoors. Some pesticides also affect hummingbirds if the birds eat nectar and bugs that have Photo: Rob and Ann Simpson been sprayed. Occasionally, they even Hummingbirds may fl y thousands of miles become caught in a spiderʼs web when during their yearly migration. collecting webs for their nests. Jenelle M. Jones and Sarah Sells, students in Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University. Species description Male and female hummingbirds buzzes, and have different colors. Male hum- short, high- mingbirds are brighter in color than pitched notes. females. Males have a rufous (rusty They will red) or sometimes greenish back; a dive-bomb rufous head, sides, tail, and lower other belly; a white chest; and a bright birds orange-red throat, which is called to a gorget. When sunlight catches chase them away and are amazing to the feathers on the chin and neck, watch. they appear a bright, fl aming red. Rufous hummingbirds begin nest- The males use their gorget to attract ing as early as April in warmer areas, mates and keep intruders away. or as late as July in their northern Females are green from their fore- range. They use small pieces of plant head down to their tail. Their chest down and other soft materials for and tip of their tail is white, and their nest and then hold the materials their belly and the rest of their tail is together with natural “glue”—spider rufous colored. They also have a few webs! rufous spots on their throats. The nests are tiny—only about Hummingbirds are classifi ed as 1½ inches across—with just enough songbirds, but they donʼt sound like room for two small baby humming- most songbirds. Rufous humming- birds. Sometimes the female rebuilds birds make a sort of kissing sound, a nest on top of her previous yearʼs with high-pitched notes. Often when nest if she likes the location. you see a hummingbird, you will After about 2 weeks of incubating hear a loud humming sound, which by the female (sitting on eggs), the is made by their rapidly fl apping baby birds hatch with closed eyes wings. and very few feathers. The mother Hummingbirds must feed the babies tiny insects and defend their ter- regurgitated nectar regularly for the ritory with fi rst few weeks. fl ight dis- As the babies grow, they may plays, loud outgrow the tiny nest and end up balancing on the rim of the nest until they are ready to fl edge (leave the nest) at about 3 weeks. Rufous hum- mingbirds may have two broods each breeding season, unlike most hum- mingbirds, which have only one. 2 Where they live and why In the spring and summer, rufous Montana. Most hummingbirds migrate hummingbirds live along the West Coast (fl y south) for the winter. A few live along from southern Alaska through Canada, the Gulf Coast during the winter, but most Washington, Oregon, and into northern travel to Mexico and southern California California, as well as western Idaho and to fi nd warmer weather. Creating habitat Hummingbirds are attracted to gardens with red, pink, and orange fl owers. A garden with a variety of sunny and shady areas, along with fl owers and trees of different heights and bloom cycles, will keep hummingbirds in the area longer and may coax them into nesting nearby. Hummingbirds enjoy a variety of fl owers. Some fl owering plants that they Photo: Corel Corporation especially like are bleeding hearts, red- A feeder can attract hummingbirds so you fl owering currant, salmonberry, colum- can enjoy their antics in your yard. bine, fuchsias, and orange honeysuckle. You can hang a hummingbird feeder Hummingbird nectar on a tree as extra food. The nectar is easy to 1 part cane sugar make—just follow the 4 parts water recipe on this page! Boil for 1 minute (on the stove, because microwaves may Hummingbirds like decrease nutritional value of the nectar). Let the mixture cool to to bathe in birdbaths. room temperature before fi lling the feeder. You can store the rest You can scatter some in the refrigerator. Be sure to clean the feeder and put new sugar rocks in a corner to water in it every 4 to 5 days. We donʼt want our feathered friends form a shallow pool to get sick from mold. And, just as a precaution, donʼt use red for them. Make sure food coloring or any sweetener besides cane sugar. Anything the water is only artifi cial or other types of sweeteners could make the birds very sick and might even kill them. 1 to 2 inches deep; otherwise, they could drown. 3 Fun facts Hummingbirds weigh less than a nickel. Hummingbird eggs are the size of a jellybean and are always laid in pairs. The heart of a hummingbird beats 1,260 times per minute. Hummingbirds are the only birds that Photo: Hugh P. Smith, Jr. Photo: Hugh P. can fl y backwards. Hummingbirds are easy to see when they Hummingbirds migrate up to perch on the tip of a branch in the sunlight. 3,000 miles. Learn more! Stokes, D.W. and L.Q. Stokes. 1998. The Dickinson, Mary B. (editor). 1999. Hummingbird Book. Little, Brown, and National Geographic Field Guide to Company (Canada), Limited. the Birds of North America, 3rd edition. Csuti, B., A.J. Kimerling, T.A. OʼNeil, National Geographic Society, Washing- M.M. Shaughnessy, E.P. Gaines, and ton, DC. M.M.P. Huso. 1997. Atlas of Oregon Ehrlich, Paul R., D. Dobkin, and Wildlife: Distribution, Habitat and D. Wheye. 1988. The Birderʼs Hand- Natural History. Oregon State Univer- book, A Field Guide to the Natural sity Press, Corvallis, OR. History of North American Birds, the Dennis, John V. and M. Tekulsky. 1991. Essential Companion to Your Identifi - How to Attract Hummingbirds and cation Guide. Simon and Schuster, Inc., Butterfl ies. Monsanto Company, San New York, NY. Ramon, CA. Olson, John and others. 2002. Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. Additional wildlife publications in this series are available on the OSU Oregon Extension Service website at http:// 4-H Wildlife extension.oregonstate.edu (choose Stewards “Publications”). © 2004 Oregon State University. This publication was produced and distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. Extension work is a cooperative program of Oregon State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon counties. Oregon State Univer- sity Extension Service offers educational programs, activities, and materials—without discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, or disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran status. Oregon State University Extension Service is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Published November 2004..