Animal
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
The only hummingbird species that breeds in the eastern United States — males brilliant emerald above with a ruby-iridescent throat, females duller emerald with white throats. Summer resident on Staten Island; arrives May, departs September. Some individuals migrate non-stop ~500 miles across the Gulf of Mexico — an extraordinary feat for a bird weighing 3 grams. Pollinates cardinal flower, trumpet vine, columbine, and many other tubular red-orange flowers.
Scientific
Archilochus colubris is a 3 g hummingbird — the only hummingbird species breeding in the eastern U.S. Males have a brilliant ruby-red iridescent throat (visible only at certain angles); females have white throats and slightly larger bodies than males. Wing-beat ~50 times per second; can hover in place and fly backwards (unique among birds).
Diet: nectar from tubular flowers (~75%) and small insects/spiders (~25%, especially during nestling-feeding). Pollinates a long list of native plants — [[cardinal-flower|cardinal flower]], trumpet vine, [[red-columbine|wild columbine]], jewelweed, native penstemons, native salvias.
Migration is extraordinary: most North American populations cross the Gulf of Mexico non-stop in fall (~500 miles, ~18 hours of continuous flight) and again in spring. Birds prepare by doubling their body weight in fat reserves before crossing. The species’ annual round-trip from southern Canada/Northeast to Central America covers thousands of miles.
On Staten Island
Summer resident across the borough’s gardens, parks, woodland edges, and any habitat with tubular-flowered nectar plants. Arrives mid-May; nests in trees and shrubs; departs September. Backyard feeder programs (sugar-water at 4:1 ratio) supplement natural nectar; the species visits feeders eagerly.
The presence of [[cardinal-flower|cardinal flower]], trumpet vine, [[jewelweed|jewelweed]], and native salvias on the borough directly supports the borough’s hummingbird population. Native-plant gardens with hummingbird-syndrome flowers are one of the most-direct ways borough residents support the species.
See also
Auto-generated from this entry’s typed relations: frontmatter, grouped by relation type so the editorial signal isn’t flattened.
- Instance of: [[atlantic-flyway]]
- Substrate of: [[cardinal-flower]]
- Member of: [[animal]]
- Contained by: [[staten-island]]
Sources
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird and species accounts
- Long-term hummingbird-migration ecology literature
- Hummingbird-feeder guidelines (Audubon)
Rooted in life.
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Scientific
shares approach with
- Hummingbird pollination the ruby-throated hummingbird is the eastern North American agent of this pollination type
shares substrate with
- Red columbine primary pollinator; the flower's spur length and color match the hummingbird's bill exactly
2 inbound links · 4 outbound