Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

Summer — spring arrival to early fallSeasonal

The take

The only hummingbird Charlotte expects — on the feeder by mid-April, gone by October.

How to ID it

  • Bright emerald-green back and crown with gray-white underparts; male's iridescent red throat looks dark in poor light.
  • Slender, slightly downcurved bill on a tiny body.
  • Hovers and darts with pinpoint control, stopping instantly and even flying backwards at feeders and tube-shaped flowers.

Field marks at a glance

Size
tiny
Head
green crown, red throat (male)
Call
twittery squeaks; wing hum

Where & when

Summer — spring arrival to early fall — best odds at wing haven.

Learn more

Sources