HUMMINGBIRD HABITAT

Although habitats of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) have been studied to some extent on both the breeding and wintering grounds, much more work could still be done on their ecology--especially in the tropics.

BREEDING (Summer) GROUNDS:
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is often found in the ecotone--or edge--between woodland and meadow. In this habitat the bird is close to mature trees in which it typically nests, as well as near a profusion of flowering plants that supply nectar and support small insects--both of which make up its diet. It is a bird that has adapted well in many places to human development, but only if there are shelter, space, and food. Thus, it is frequently seen in suburban backyards with some mature trees and shrubs, in wooded parks, and around farmsteads and orchards. Although the RTHU may be found more frequently near hardwood forests, it also occurs in pine stands in parts of its breeding range. In Canada, its overall distribution stops at the southern edge of the dense boreal forest.

WINTERING GROUNDS:
Observations in Mexico and Central America indicate that Ruby-throated Hummingbirds select similar habitats to those they use on the breeding and nesting grounds: the edges of thickets and second-growth forests where the woods interface with clearings such as pastures. As in North America, these locations are likely to have viable populations of flowering plants. It should be noted that SOME vegetational disturbance may benefit RTHUs because it results in more "edges," but clear-cutting eliminates all plants they need for nesting, roosting, and/or feeding.

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