Female Ruby Throated Hummingbird Tail

These brilliant tiny precision flying creatures glitter like jewels in the full sun then vanish with a zip toward the next nectar source.

Female ruby throated hummingbird tail.

Female ruby throated hummingbird taking various defensive and evasive actions around a man made feeder. The female ruby throated hummingbird doesn t get the fancy gorget. The ruby throated hummingbird s tongue is even longer. Each feather is rounded and the tail is fan shaped.

The outer three tail feathers on each side have white tips and when perched the tail is slightly longer than the folded wingtips. She is distinguished by a white throat and a dark rounded tail with white tips. However young males above right like females of any age have white tips on the outer three rectrices on each side. While tiny and hard to see the chins of these birds can be an obvious field mark.

A flash of green and red the ruby throated hummingbird is eastern north america s sole breeding hummingbird. Ruby throated hummingbirds winter in mexico and central america. The tail is forked. Keep in mind that from the beginning to the middle of the hummingbird season mid april to mid july you won t be seeing any juvenile birds.

Almost all hummingbirds of 7 years or more in age are females with males rarely surviving past 5 years of age. Ruby throated hummingbirds are tiny birds they weigh between about 0 1 and 0 2 ounces and measure between 2 8 to 3 5 inches in length. The female ruby throated hummingbird has a rounded tail without the sharp points of the male s tail feathers though they are still somewhat pointed. The oldest known ruby throated hummingbird to be banded was 9 years and 1 month of age.

The differences in male female and juvenile ruby throated hummingbirds are subtle but if you know what to look for you can identify between the three fairly easily. Adult male ruby throated hummingbirds above left have pointed rectrices tail feathers that are all dark with no white tips. On females the broad tailed hummingbird has a streaked throat while the female ruby throated hummingbird s throat is much more plain and any streaks would be very faint. The flight feathers of ruby throated hummingbirds include 10 full length primary feathers six secondary feathers and 10 rectrices the largest feathers used for flight.