Creature Feature Encyclopedia: Aves

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Archilochus colubris

Over three hundred species of hummingbirds make their home in the Americas. However, they are most common in the rainforests of South America. They range from 2 inches to 8.5 inches long and come in a variety of brilliant colors. Hummingbird feathers shimmer and shine so beautifully that they seem to change colors. That is why many of them are named after jewels like rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. These tiny jewels fly amazingly fast - up to 71 miles per hour. Hummingbirds use their long beaks and tongues to sip nectar from flowers. The flowers of the rainforests need these speedy nectar sippers to pollinate them.

~A Walk in the Rainforest © 1992