Ruby-throated hummingbird Facts for Kids
Archilochus colubris · ar-KIL-oh-kus koh-LOO-bris
A tiny bird whose wings beat so fast they hum.
- 🏃 60 mph97 km/h1
- ⚖️ 0.11 to 0.12 oz3 to 3.5 g2
- 📏 3 to 3.5 in7.5 to 9 cm2 long
- 🎂 5 to 9 years5 to 9 years3
- 🍽️ plants and animals
- Doing fine (Least Concern)
Hummingbirds are tiny birds. Their wings flap so fast they make a humming sound. They drink sweet nectar from flowers.
A hummingbird can hover in one place and even fly backwards. It sips nectar with a long tongue that reaches deep into flowers. The male ruby-throated hummingbird has a shiny red throat that flashes in the sun.
Hummingbirds use energy very fast, so they visit many flowers a day and eat tiny insects too. At night they can slow their bodies right down into a deep rest called torpor to save energy. Each fall, ruby-throated hummingbirds fly south to Central America, and many cross the Gulf of Mexico without stopping.
How big is a ruby-throated hummingbird?
Ruby-throated hummingbird in numbers
| Length | 3 to 3.5 in7.5 to 9 cm2 |
|---|---|
| Height at the shoulder | no checked number yet |
| Weight | 0.11 to 0.12 oz3 to 3.5 g2adults almost double their weight before migration (NPS) |
| Top speed (diving) | 60 mph97 km/h1diving |
| How long it lives | 5 to 9 years5 to 9 years3in the wild, if they survive the first year |
| What it eats | nectar from flowers, and tiny insects |
| Where it lives | eastern North America in summer; Mexico and Central America in winter |
| What kind | Birds |
| Is it in danger? | Doing fine (Least Concern)4 |
A number we couldn’t find on a page we trust says so, instead of guessing.
Wow!
- Hummingbirds can fly backwards.
- At night they slow down into a deep rest called torpor.
- Many fly across the Gulf of Mexico without a stop.
Compare the ruby-throated hummingbird
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Books about the ruby-throated hummingbird, free at the library
Ask a grown-up to tap the button: it shows where to borrow a book about the ruby-throated hummingbird for free.
Where these numbers come from
- National Park Service, Northeast Temperate Network, checked 30 October 2026.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, checked 30 October 2026.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, from the IUCN Red List, checked 30 October 2026.
- Wikidata, Ruby-throated hummingbird (Q834843), checked 30 October 2026.