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Feeding Habits
Rufous hummingbirds are generalist feeders, and have been documented feeding at 30 different plants in the Sonoran Desert. They have been observed feeding at columnar cacti (Pachycereus pringlei and Carnegiea gigantea), clover (Wislizenia refracta), Mohave beardtongue (Penstemon pseudospectabilis), and mescal (Agave augustifolia). The bird prefers red flowers, but has been seen at yellow, white, and purple flowers as well.
Rufous Hummingbirds: A Necessary Pollinator of Western Plants
A rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus ) at the Flagstaff Botanical Gardens in Arizona. Photo by Terry Sohl, sdakotabirds.com.
Rufous hummingbirds (Selasphorus rufus) have been called the most important hummingbirdpollinator in western North America. This is because rufous hummingbirds migrate from Alaska to Mexico, pollinating plants the entire journey. As the birds stop along nectar corridors to eat they inadvertently collect pollen and transfer it to another plant, often times moving genetic material great distances. In the 1960s these birds were seen pollinating the giant trumpets (Macromeria viridiflora) plant in Arizona, the first documented case of a hummingbird pollinating a member of the Boraginaceae family in western North America. M. viridiflora is a tall perennial herb with yellow tubular flowers. The hummingbird probes the floral tubes by fitting its bill into the upper part of the floral tube and extending its tongue to reach the nectar in the narrow, lower part of the tube. Pollen then becomes dusted on the hummingbird's bill and is inadvertently transferred when the bird moves from plant to plant eating nectar. The hummingbird's role as a pollinator during migration is believed to have influenced the speciation of California flowers. This species of hummingbird is declining throughout its range, and the loss of nectar corridors across its migration route may continue to threaten this bird.
Description:A mature rufous hummingbird is about 7-9 cm in length, has an 11 cm wingspan, and weighs between 2 and 5 g. Males have an iridescent red throat, a dull reddish back, and an orange tail with pointed black tips. Females have a white throat with a few red feathers, a green back and head, and an orange, green, and black tail. Rufous hummingbirds feed on flower nectar, small insects, and tree sap. Males can be identified by their aerial display during courtship in which they make a series of steep, J-shaped dives that end at the same point. Males are territorial year-round.
Life History:These hummingbirds have the longest known avian migration proportional to their body size, migrating over 1,500 km from Alaska to Mexico. Migration occurs between March and May. Nests are open cups placed in a shrub or on a small twig or branch of trees like conifers. Clutch size is two eggs. Upon hatching, the birds are helpless and naked.
Habitat:These birds breed in successional and mature forests and brushy habitats. They can be found in montane meadows and disturbed areas on migration routes. They winter in oak forests and in brush and scrublands in Mexico.
Distribution:This bird can be found in the winter from Southern California, through Mexico, and along the northern Gulf Coast. In the summer, it breeds from southern Alaska southward to northern California, south central Idaho, and western Montana. These birds frequently visit the eastern states and have the northernmost range of any hummingbird.
Status:This bird is declining over most of its range.
