By: Steve Roark
Volunteer Interpreter, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

The hummingbird needs no introduction since everyone at one time or other has been mesmerized by its bright color, tiny size and amazing aerial abilities.

There are several hundred species of hummingbirds in the world, but only one is found in the eastern US, the Ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris). It is around 3 inches long and weighs only one-half ounce (hummingbirds are the smallest of the bird world). Both sexes have metallic green feathers and a long, straw-like bill. The male has a metallic red throat while the female has a white throat.

Observers recognize the birds by their flying rather than appearance. The wings move in a rotary motion that is so rapid (70 beats per second) that they appear as a blur. They can hover motionless and are the only birds that can fly backwards. They are most often seen darting from flower to flower seeking food.

Speaking of food, it takes on extra importance to hummingbirds because they have a very high metabolism to keep those wings moving. They must constantly take in food and often eat half their body weight each day, mainly flower nectar. Hummingbirds have no sense of smell and so depend on color vision to find flowers to feed on, especially orange or red ones. Studies have shown that they also eat on whatever small insects are in the flower when the nectar is sucked up, supplying needed protein.

Continuing the species begins each spring when the male will put on a courtship before a potential mate consisting of a dazzling display of aerial swoops, dives, and loops. After courtship the male leaves the female to build a nest and raise the brood. She makes a bowl-shaped nest an inch and a half across and about an inch deep. She will lay two small white eggs, which hatch in 2 weeks. Three weeks after that the young are ready to leave the nest.

Hummingbirds migrate south for the winter at least to Louisiana and as far as Panama. They can cover amazing distances for their size, able to fly 500 miles without stopping. Some fly across the Gulf of Mexico to their wintering area. By the way a group of hummingbirds are referred to as a bouquet, a hover, a shimmer, or a tune.

Many enjoy attracting hummingbirds to their home with sugar water feeders. The basic recipe is to mix one-part plain sugar to four-parts water and heat on the stove a couple of minutes to fully dissolve the sugar. Don’t dye the sugar water, but do use a red colored feeder, which they are naturally attracted to.