06/05/2026
🐦Birds of the Biosphere🐦
Each spring (around mid-May), Ruby-throated Hummingbirds return north from the tropics to begin their breeding season. They settle across the southern boreal forest, making use of meadows, forest edges, wetlands, brushy areas—and even farmyards and urban backyards—to raise their young.
👀 What to look for:
Males are easy to recognize with their brilliant ruby-red throat, while females and juveniles have white throats. All feature an iridescent green back and a pale (white or tan) belly.
🌸 Diet:
These tiny birds fuel up on nectar from tubular flowers, sugar-water feeders, tree sap (often from Yellow-bellied Sapsucker wells), and small insects.
Want them to stick around? Here is a feeding tip:
Mix 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water (no dyes or store-bought colored syrups). Keep feeders clean and refresh often—especially in hot weather, when sugar water can ferment quickly.
🪺 Nesting & courtship:
Males perform impressive U-shaped flight displays to attract a mate. Females build tiny, thimble-sized nests on sloping branches 10–40 feet up, using lichen, spider silk, and soft plant down. Nests stretch as the chicks grow! A female typically lays two eggs and may raise two broods in a summer.
❗Fun fact:
The oldest recorded Ruby-throated Hummingbird lived over 9 years!
Keep your feeders fresh and flowers blooming to keep these incredible birds in your area happy!🌼
