Rufous Hummingbird

Selasphorus rufus

Migrates 3,900 miles despite weighing less than a nickel. Respect the hustle.

Population: ~22 million mature individuals, decreasing (Partners in Flight, 2019 est.; ~2.1%/yr decline, ~19% over 10 years per BirdLife DataZone)
Habitat: Open areas, mountain meadows, forest edges, and second-growth/scrub during breeding; backyards, gardens, and flower-rich areas on migration and in winter; woodland in the Mexican wintering range (esp. Guerrero)
Fun fact: Despite weighing only 2-5 grams, the Rufous Hummingbird makes one of the longest migratory journeys of any bird relative to its body size, traveling a roughly 3,200 km clockwise circuit each year between Alaska and Mexico.
Range: Breeds from southeastern Alaska and the Yukon south through western Canada, the Pacific Northwest, and the mountain West to Oregon and California; winters mainly in central Mexico (especially Guerrero), plus southern California and the U.S. Gulf Coast; migrates in a clockwise loop, north up the Pacific Coast in late winter/spring (reaching Washington/British Columbia by May) and south through the Rocky Mountains from as early as July into fall
Diet: Nectar from flowers and hummingbird feeders; also small insects and spiders caught in flight or gleaned from foliage, especially important for protein during breeding and as a winter fallback
Size: 0.08 m
Wingspan: 0.11 m
Lifespan: 9 years

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