Eastern North America
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
Gardens, woodland edges· 3.5 in / 9 cm
"A tiny green helicopter and the audible hum of 50 wingbeats per second."
The story
Each autumn, ruby-throats fly nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico — 500 miles, 20 hours, no rest, on a body the weight of a penny.
Conservation
Stable, but pesticide use and habitat loss along migration routes are concerns.
One small thing you can do
Make sugar water (1 part sugar to 4 parts water — never red dye) and keep it fresh.