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Rufous HummingbirdKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: Chordata(fish, amphibian, reptiles, birds and mammals)Class: Aves(birds)Order: Apodiformes(swifts & hummingbirds)Family: Trochilidae(hummingbirds)Genus: SelasphorusSpecies: Selasphorus Rufus (Rufous hummingbird)

Classification2

Length: 2.8-3.5 in.Weight: 0.1-0.2 oz.Wingspan: 4.3 in.

Both Male & Female: Physical Characteristics

Female: Greenish gold crown and backwhite breast throat has iridescent red spotred tail with black patches and white tips

Male: green back red rump and tailwhite belly and breast throat has green spot with red spot in center

United StatesCanada Mexico; Turks and Caicos Islands; DistributionHabitatOpen WoodlandsShrubby areas and meadows

2009 Although population is decreasing Not enough to be Vulnerable Due to extremely large population:6,500,000 Conservation statusReproductionMales attract females with courtship flights

Mating Season: April-June

Males mate with several femalesStart mating the spring after they are born 2-3 eggs

Parental care

First flight from being born: 20-30 daysBabies stay with mother for about a year

Nests are made by just the femaleThe babies are looked after by the female only

Young male fledglings resemble femalesLongevity and mortalityLifespan: Average 3-4 years Oldest recorded: 8 years 11 months

In the captivity the Rufous lives about 3 times longer than in the wild

Seasonal patterns The Rufous hummingbird migratesTravel 4,000 miles from breeding groundsAlaska/North Canada to Mexico

DietFeeds on nectar from tubular flowersExamples: Columbine, Indian paint brush, lilies and fireweeds

It also eats gnats, flies, aphids, and spiders for protein. Consumes up to 3X its body weight per day

Burn up huge amounts of caloriesthe equivalent to humans:

1,300 hamburgers a daywashed down with 60 liters of waterPredators

Human RelationshipsPeople enjoy feeding/ holdingFeeders beneficial for their long migration trips

Habitat Destruction

Use of pesticides

Humans are seldom a direct threat; but their windows can be deadly.

In class of its own, the feisty Rufous hummingbird

Hovers like a helicopter

A female rufous hummingbird hovers above water droplets from a backyard fountain. Out maneuvers a fighter jet

Can come to a dead from 25 miles per hour, in a space no longer than an index finger.

More stamina than a top, marathon athleteAbout 3,900-mile (one-way) from Alaska to Mexico Would give competitive eaters a run for their money!

Burton, Robert. The World of the Hummingbird. Buffalo: Firefly books, 2001. Print.Howell, Steve N. G. Hummingbirds of North America. Princeton: Princeton UP, 2003. Print."The Hummingbird: Gods Tiny Miracle." Answers in Genesis. Answers in Genesis, 2012. Web. 25 Mar. 2013. ."Hummingbird - Mighty Puffball." Bird Note. Bird Note, n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2013."Hummingbird Quotes." Bird Quote. Bird Quote, 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. .Johnson, Craig and Joy. Pacific Northwest Birds and Habitat. N.p.: Orange spot Publishing, 2011. Print.Work cited