Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

Does a hummingbird migrate by hitching a ride on the back of a goose? Not exactly. This Rufous Hummingbird flies 49,000,000 times its body-length as it makes its full migration loop. That's about like a human traveling more than 50,000 miles! They can fly forwards, backwards, or hover in one spot... read more »

In September, this Arctic Tern flies from Alaska all the way to Antarctica. Rufous Hummingbirds follow pathways of mountain wildflowers, from as far north as Alaska south to Mexico. Ruby-crowned Kinglets, migrate altitudinally from the mountains to the lowlands. Each of these birds migrates, but... read more »

What bird can fly straight up and down, backwards and forwards, and even upside down? A hummingbird can do all this, and fly up to 75 miles an hour. And most amazing of all? This bird can slow from 25 miles an hour to a dead stop in a space no longer than your index finger. Learn more about this... read more »

It's March, and - following a winter sojourn in Mexico - thousands of fiery-orange male Rufous Hummingbirds are migrating northward, ahead of the females. Many pass through California on their way to breeding sites in the Northwest. To learn more about how to attract hummingbirds to your yard --... read more »

Red flowers, and of course red feeders, are often rich sources of food for hummingbirds, including this Broad-tailed Hummingbird. Nectar is high-octane fuel for their intensely active way of life. The hummingbirds' sense of color is due to the dense concentration of cones in its retina. But it... read more »