Archilochus colubris

Indiana’s regular breeding hummingbird is a native seasonal visitor to Lafayette. Identify it by plumage and shape, then support it with flowers, insects and safe feeding places. [IN, ID]

At a Glance

Identification

Both sexes have green upperparts and a long, narrow bill. An adult male has an iridescent ruby throat, which may look black in shade. Females have a pale throat and white tips on the outer tail feathers. Young males can resemble females and may show only scattered red throat feathers. [ID]

A hummingbird moth has antennae and six legs; the bird has a feathered body, bill and two feet. An unfamiliar hummingbird late in fall deserves careful photographs and identification rather than an assumption based only on location.

Reproduction

The female builds the nest, incubates the eggs and feeds the young. Usually two white eggs hatch after about 12–14 days; nestlings leave roughly 18–22 days after hatching. A nest is a small cup of plant down and spider silk, often decorated with lichens. [Life, Aud]

Environment and native habitat

Woodland edges, stream margins and gardens combine sheltered branches with feeding openings. Most birds spend winter in Mexico and Central America. The accompanying Environment and Climate sheets explain how these seasonal needs shape a Lafayette garden. [Life, Aud]

Safe feeder care

Mix 1 part refined white sugar with 4 parts water by volume: ¼ cup sugar plus 1 cup water. Dissolve completely. Use no dye, honey or sugar substitutes. Change the solution and thoroughly clean the feeder every other day; in hot weather, inspect daily and replace sooner if needed. Refrigerate extra nectar for no more than one week. [Feed]

Place feeders where cats cannot ambush birds and where glass does not create a collision hazard. Leaving a clean feeder out in fall does not prevent migration. [Bird, Feed]

Protect the bird

Observe nests from a distance. Do not capture or keep a hummingbird; protected migratory birds require authorization for capture or possession. Seek a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for an injured bird. [Law]

[IN] Indiana Audubon species account

[Life] Cornell Lab life history

[Aud] Audubon species and migration account

[Feed] Smithsonian nectar recipe and feeder care

[Bird] Cornell Lab species overview

[Law] US Fish and Wildlife Service migratory bird protection

Courtney Celley/USFWS photograph — Public domain.

Mike Carlo/USFWS photograph — Public domain.

Daniel Schwen photograph — CC BY-SA 4.0. License

Larry A. Woodward/USFWS photograph — Public domain.

Related Information Sheets

Environment sheet | Climate sheet | Ecology sheet

Archilochus colubris

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds connect Indiana’s warm growing season with warmer winter habitats farther south. Plan for arrivals, breeding and departing migrants rather than year-round local residence. [IN, Aud]

Two seasonal settings

A Lafayette planning calendar

Migration and energy

Some migrants cross the Gulf of Mexico; others travel around its western edge. Avoid assuming every bird takes the same route. A sequence of feeding and resting sites supports the journey. [Aud]

Torpor is a controlled reduction in body temperature and metabolism that saves energy, especially during cold nights. It helps a tiny bird survive a temporary energy shortage; it does not turn Indiana into normal winter habitat for this species. [ADW]

Responding to difficult weather

During heat, check nectar daily and replace it promptly; warmth speeds spoilage. During a dry spell, monitor the soil in moisture-loving plantings and water as needed to sustain flowers. Keep clean late-season feeders available for migrants rather than removing them to force departure. [Bird, Lob, Feed]

Track seasonal change

Record first and last sightings, bloom dates, dry spells and observation time. Compare several years before judging a trend. Track flowering and bird arrival separately to identify possible gaps in food availability.

[Aud] Audubon species and migration account

[ADW] University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web

[Life] Cornell Lab life history

[Feed] Smithsonian nectar recipe and feeder care

[Bird] Cornell Lab species overview

[Lob] NC State Extension cardinal flower

Larry A. Woodward/USFWS photograph — Public domain.

Related Information Sheets

Animal sheet | Environment sheet | Ecology sheet

Archilochus colubris

Ruby-throated Hummingbirds link flowers, small arthropods and woody vegetation. Supporting these relationships makes a garden useful for more than a brief feeder visit.

How the bird helps flowering plants

As a hummingbird reaches for nectar, its head or bill may contact pollen-bearing anthers and later a receptive stigma. This can move pollen between flowers. Pollination success depends on the fit between bird and flower and on what the bird touches; a visit alone is not proof of successful pollination. [ADW]

Cardinal flower offers a useful example of a tubular flower visited by hummingbirds. Eastern columbine supplies a spring nectar resource, while later flowers extend feeding opportunities. Red is useful for attracting attention, but hummingbirds also visit flowers of other colors. [Lob, Col, Bird]

Relationships to watch

Competition and predation

A male often guards a rich patch of flowers or a feeder and chases competitors. Spread feeding opportunities across the garden, using vegetation to interrupt direct sight lines. Count how many birds can feed, not simply how much nectar disappears. [Life]

Cats and window collisions create preventable hazards around feeding sites. Keep cats indoors or in enclosed outdoor spaces and make nearby glass visible to birds. Hummingbirds eat some mosquitoes, but attracting hummingbirds should not be treated as an effective mosquito-control program. [Bird]

Observe without disturbing

Watch the same flower patch for ten minutes at a consistent time. Record weather, open flowers, visits, chases and visible contact with flower parts. Count visits separately from individual birds: repeated trips by one bird are not evidence of a larger population.

Compare flower patches on several dates and include sessions with no visits. Note whether a bird feeds, rests or simply passes through. Avoid following it to a nest or changing vegetation around an active nest to improve a photograph.

What garden success looks like

Look for continuity of flowers and safe use of the site through the season. A feeder crowded with birds is only one observation. Flower visitation, insect feeding and undisturbed resting provide a fuller picture of habitat use. Retain records so that next year’s planting decisions follow evidence.

[Life] Cornell Lab life history

[Lob] NC State Extension cardinal flower

[Col] NC State Extension eastern columbine

[Bird] Cornell Lab species overview

Mike Carlo/USFWS photograph — Public domain.

Related Information Sheets

Animal sheet | Environment sheet | Climate sheet

Archilochus colubris

A useful hummingbird garden supplies food through the season and keeps sheltered branches nearby. Match plants to the light and moisture already present on the site.

Habitat structure

Retain trees and shrubs beside flowering areas. Hummingbirds use wooded edges and semi-open habitats rather than requiring a completely open flower bed. Keep quiet cover for nesting and resting, and leave room to approach flowers in flight. [Life, Aud]

Flowers for different garden conditions

These eastern North American plants offer complementary flowering periods. The seasonal windows below are broad planning guides; weather, cultivar and growing conditions change local bloom dates. They are garden candidates, not a county occurrence inventory.

Plant several of each suitable species and track gaps in bloom. Cardinal flower is a strong choice for a damp bed; do not put it in a dry location and expect occasional watering to compensate. Jewelweed suits a naturalized patch where reseeding is acceptable. [Lob, Jew]

Flowers are only part of the food supply

Keep vegetation that supports small arthropods. A garden stripped of insects cannot supply the bird’s complete diet. Avoid routine broad insecticide spraying around feeding and nesting areas. Feeders can supplement habitat, but they cannot supply the animal food available in a living garden. [Life]

A practical Lafayette layout

Use a sunny, well-drained patch for wild bergamot and a partly shaded edge for columbine. Reserve an existing moist pocket for cardinal flower or jewelweed. Keep perching branches nearby and arrange flowering groups so one bird has difficulty guarding every food source. This layout is a site-design recommendation based on the plant and bird requirements above.

For a small yard, begin with two flowering periods and expand after one season of observation. Buy propagated plants; leave wild plants and their habitats intact. These plantings are for wildlife observation, not an edible garden. Cardinal flower is toxic if eaten. [Lob]

Feeder placement and maintenance

Hang an optional feeder in shade with safe access for cleaning, beyond a cat’s reach and away from hazardous glass. Use the recipe and cleaning schedule in the Animal sheet. Choose a feeder only if someone can maintain it consistently. [Feed, Bird]

[Aud] Audubon species and migration account

[Col] NC State Extension eastern columbine

[Mon] NC State Extension wild bergamot

[Lob] NC State Extension cardinal flower

[Jew] NC State Extension spotted jewelweed

[Feed] Smithsonian nectar recipe and feeder care

[Bird] Cornell Lab species overview

Daniel Schwen photograph — CC BY-SA 4.0. License

Jim Hudgins/USFWS photograph — Public domain.

Related Information Sheets

Animal sheet | Climate sheet | Ecology sheet