Rufous hummingbird

The rufous hummingbird was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other hummingbirds in the genus Trochilus and coined the binomial name Trochilus rufus.{{ cite book | last=Gmelin | first=Johann Friedrich | author-link=Johann Friedrich Gmelin| year=1788 | title=Systema naturae per regna tria naturae : secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis | edition=13th | volume=1, Part 1 | language=Latin | location=Lipsiae [Leipzig] | publisher=Georg. Emanuel. Beer | page=497 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2897097 }} Gmelin based his description on the ruff-necked hummingbird described by John Latham in 1782 and the ruffed honeysucker described by Thomas Pennant in 1785.{{cite book| last=Latham | first=John | year=1782 | author-link=John Latham (ornithologist) | title=A General Synopsis of Birds | volume=1, Part 2 | page=785, Plate 35 | location=London | publisher= Printed for Benj. White | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/33727441 }}{{cite book | last=Pennant | first=Thomas | author-link=Thomas Pennant | year=1785 | title=Arctic Zoology | volume=2 | publisher=Printed by Henry Hughs | location=London, United Kingdom | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/32122058 | page=290 }}

The type locality given by Gmelin was Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island in western Canada, although breeding was estimated to occur in northwestern North America and wintering in westcentral Mexico.{{ cite book | editor-last=Peters | editor-first=James Lee | editor-link=James L. Peters | year=1945 | title=Check-List of Birds of the World | volume=5 | publisher=Harvard University Press | place=Cambridge, Massachusetts | page=141 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14480152 }} The rufous hummingbird is now placed with eight other species in the genus Selasphorus that was introduced in 1832 by the English naturalist William Swainson.{{ cite book | last1=Swainson | first1=William | author1-link=William Swainson | last2=Richardson | first2=J. | author2-link=John Richardson (naturalist) | year=1831 | title=Fauna boreali-americana, or, The zoology of the northern parts of British America | volume=Part 2. The Birds | publisher=J. Murray | place=London | page=324 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/41549739 }} The title page bears the year 1831 but the volume did not appear until 1832.{{cite web| editor1-last=Gill | editor1-first=Frank | editor1-link=Frank Gill (ornithologist) | editor2-last=Donsker | editor2-first=David | editor3-last=Rasmussen | editor3-first=Pamela | editor3-link=Pamela Rasmussen | date=January 2022 | title=Hummingbirds | work=IOC World Bird List Version 12.1 | url=http://www.worldbirdnames.org/bow/hummingbirds/ | publisher=International Ornithologists' Union | access-date=12 July 2022 }} The genus name combines the Ancient Greek selas meaning "light" or "flame" with -phoros meaning "-carrying". The specific epithet rufus is the Latin word for "red".{{cite book | last=Jobling | first=James A. | year=2010| title=The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names | publisher=Christopher Helm | location=London | isbn=978-1-4081-2501-4 | pages=[https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n352/mode/1up 352], [https://archive.org/stream/Helm_Dictionary_of_Scientific_Bird_Names_by_James_A._Jobling#page/n341/mode/1up 341]}} The species is considered as monotypic: no subspecies are recognized.

File:Rufous Humming Bird (52253804217).jpg

The adult male has a white breast, rufous face, flanks and tail and an iridescent orange-red throat patch or gorget. Some males have some green on their back and/or crown. The female has green, white, and some iridescent orange feathers in the center of the throat, and a dark tail with white tips and rufous base.

The female is slightly larger than the male. Females and the rare green-backed males are extremely difficult to differentiate from Allen's hummingbird. The typical "notched" shape of the second rectrix (R2) is considered an important field mark to distinguish the adult male rufous hummingbird from the adult male Allen's hummingbird.{{Cite book|last=Pyle|first=Peter|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/38593534|title=Identification Guide to North American Birds, Part I: Columbidae to Ploceidae|publisher=Slate Creek Press|others=Steve N. G. Howell, Siobhan Ruck, Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Bird Observatory|year=1997|isbn=0-9618940-2-4|location=Bolinas, Calif.|oclc=38593534}} This is a typical-sized hummingbird, being a very small bird. It weighs {{convert|2|-|5|g|oz|frac=32|abbr=on}}, measures {{convert|7|-|9|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} long and spans {{convert|11|cm|in|frac=2|abbr=on}} across the wings.{{Cite AllAboutBirds|Rufous Hummingbird}}

File:Rufous hummingbird (61556).jpg

Western rufous hummingbirds migrate through the Rocky Mountains and nearby lowlands from May to September to take advantage of the wildflower season. They may stay in one local region for the entire summer, in which case the migrants (like breeding birds) often aggressively take-over and defend feeding locations. Most individuals winter in wooded areas in the Mexican state of Guerrero, traveling over {{convert|2000|mi|km|abbr=on|order=flip}} by an overland route from their nearest summer home – a prodigious journey for a bird weighing only {{convert|3 to 4|g|oz|frac=32|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web|title=Rufous Hummingbird Migration: Temperature, Patterns and Timing|url=https://journeynorth.org/tm/humm/sl/17/article.html|date=2019|access-date=2021-03-18|website=Journey North|publisher=University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum}}

Adult male rufous hummingbirds tend to migrate slightly earlier than females or young.{{Cite web|date=2014-11-13|title=Rufous Hummingbird|url=https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/rufous-hummingbird|access-date=2021-03-18|publisher=Audubon Guide to North American Birds|language=en}} Since juveniles and females are essentially indistinguishable from Allen's hummingbird, unless confirmed by close inspection, eastern rufous migrants may be classified as "rufous/Allen's hummingbirds".

File:USFWS ribes sanguineum (26123508822).jpg flowers]]

They feed on nectar from flowers using a long extendable tongue or catch insects on the wing. These birds require frequent feeding while active during the day and become torpid at night to conserve energy. Because of their small size, they are vulnerable to insect-eating birds and animals.

A study that used digital imaging velocimetry to look at wing movements found that the rufous hummingbird supports its body weight during hovering primarily by wing downstrokes (75% of lift) rather than by upstrokes (25% of lift).{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4124666.stm |title=Master fliers of the bird kingdom |publisher=BBC |date=27 June 2005 |access-date=30 October 2009}}{{Cite journal|issue=7|year=2010|publisher=Elsevier BV|volume=46|journal=Progress in Aerospace Sciences|issn=0376-0421|pages=284–327|last1=Shyy|first1=W.|last2=Aono|first2=H.|last3=Chimakurthi|first3=S.K.|last4=Trizila|first4=P.|last5=Kang|first5=C.-K.|last6=Cesnik|first6=C.E.S.|last7=Liu|first7=H.|s2cid=110014894|doi=10.1016/j.paerosci.2010.01.001|title=Recent progress in flapping wing aerodynamics and aeroelasticity|bibcode=2010PrAeS..46..284S }}{{cite journal|journal=Nature|year=2005|volume=435|issue=7045|pages=1094–7|title=Aerodynamics of the hovering hummingbird|vauthors=Warrick DR, Tobalske BW, Powers DR|pmid=15973407|doi=10.1038/nature03647|bibcode=2005Natur.435.1094W|s2cid=4427424|url=https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/bio_fac/37 |url-access=subscription}}

When hovering during fasting, rufous hummingbirds oxidize fatty acids to support metabolism and food energy requirements, but can rapidly switch to carbohydrate metabolism (within 40 minutes) after feeding on flower nectar.{{Cite book|date=2008|publisher=Oxford University Press|last=Lighton|first=John R. B.|title=Measuring Metabolic Rates|s2cid=81581157|doi=10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195310610.001.0001|isbn=978-0-19-531061-0 }}{{Cite journal|journal=Journal of Experimental Biology|year=2007|volume=210|issue=12|pages=2154–62|title=Oxidation rate and turnover of ingested sugar in hovering Anna's (Calypte anna) and rufous (Selasphorus rufus) hummingbirds|vauthors=Welch KC Jr, Suarez RK|s2cid=40843202|pmid=17562889|doi=10.1242/jeb.005363|doi-access=free|bibcode=2007JExpB.210.2154W }}

File:Rufous hummingbird at Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge (42191201730).jpg in Wyoming]]

Both males and females are territorial; however, they defend different types of territories.{{Cite journal|last1=Kodric-Brown | first1=A. |last2=Brown | first2=J.H. |title=Influence of economics, interspecific competition, and sexual dimorphism on territoriality of migrant Rufous hummingbirds | journal=Ecology |volume=59|issue=2|pages=285–296|doi=10.2307/1936374|jstor=1936374|year=1978| bibcode=1978Ecol...59..285K }} The more aggressive males fight to defend areas with dense flowers, pushing females into areas with more sparsely populated flowers. Males generally have shorter wings than females, therefore their metabolic cost for hovering is higher. This allows males to beat their wings at high frequencies, giving them the ability to chase and attack other birds to defend their territory. The metabolic cost of short wings is compensated for by the fact that these males do not need to waste energy foraging for food, because their defended territory provides plenty of sustenance.{{Cite journal|last1=Feinsinger|last2=Chaplin|title=On the relationship between wing disc loading and foraging strategy in hummingbirds|journal=The American Naturalist|volume=109|issue=966|pages=217–224|doi=10.1086/282988|year=1975|bibcode=1975ANat..109..217F |s2cid=84567304}} Females on the other hand are not given access to the high concentration food sources, because the males fight them off. Therefore, females generally defend larger territories, where flowers are more sparsely populated, forcing them to fly farther between food sources. The metabolic cost of flying farther is compensated for with longer wings providing more efficient flight for females. The differences in wing length demonstrate a distinct sexual dimorphism, allowing each sex to best exploit resources in an area.

Their primary breeding habitats are open areas, mountainsides and forest edges in western North America from southern Alaska through British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest to California, nesting further north (Alaska) than any other hummingbird. The female builds a nest in a protected location in a shrub or conifer. Males are promiscuous, mating with several females.

In 2018, the rufous hummingbird was uplisted from least concern to near threatened on the IUCN Red List, on the basis that due to its reliance on insect prey during the wintering season, it will be heavily affected by the global decline in insect populations due to pesticides and intensified agriculture.{{Cite news|url=http://www.birdlife.org/sites/default/files/red_list_update_for_birds_-_two_iconic_species_saved_from_extinction_by_conservation_action.pdf|title=Red List update for birds|author=BirdLife International|work=BirdLife|date=22 November 2018|access-date=23 November 2018|language=en-us}} Due to climate change, many flowers that the rufous hummingbird feeds on during the breeding season have started blooming two weeks prior to the birds' arrival to their breeding locations, which may lead to rufous hummingbirds arriving too late to feed on them.

File:Rufous hummingbird attacking Anna's hummingbird.webm|Slow-motion video of rufous hummingbird attacking Anna's hummingbird at feeder. Video taken at 2000 fps, or about {{frac|1|67}} of real-time.

File:Rufous hummingbird feeding in slow motion.webm|Rufous hummingbird feeding in slow motion at 2000 fps or {{frac|1|67}} of real-time.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Selasphorus rufus}}

{{Wikispecies|Selasphorus rufus}}

• [https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rufous_Hummingbird/ Rufous hummingbird Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology]
• {{InternetBirdCollection|rufous-hummingbird-selasphorus-rufus|Rufous hummingbird}}
• {{VIREO|Rufous+hummingbird}}
• {{IUCN_Map|22688296/178595564|Selasphorus rufus}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1190038}}

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rufous hummingbird

Category:Native birds of Alaska

Category:Native birds of Western Canada

Category:Native birds of the Northwestern United States

Category:Meso-American wintering birds

rufous hummingbird

rufous hummingbird