Photo: VJAnderson / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Rufous Hummingbird
Selasphorus rufus
Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) — Hummingbirds of North America.
Found across 12 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) is a member of the Trochilidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 3.5 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Trochilidae Hummingbirds
- Genus Selasphorus
- Species rufus
Quick facts
- Weight
- 3.5 g
- Diet
- Nectar-feeders
- Family
- Trochilidae
- Order
- Apodiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Rufous Hummingbird is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it is highly aerial, spending much of its time on the wing.
Migration
The Rufous Hummingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) is a species of bird in the Trochilidae family, part of the order Apodiformes. It is found across North America. Its distribution covers NA se Alaska, w Canada and nw USA.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 3.5 g, with a wing length of about 4.1 cm and a tail of around 3 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 1.5 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Rufous Hummingbird?
The Rufous Hummingbird is a very small bird that weighs around 3.5 g.
Where does the Rufous Hummingbird live?
The Rufous Hummingbird is found across North America with a range covering NA se Alaska, w Canada and nw USA, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Rufous Hummingbird belong to?
The Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) belongs to the Trochilidae family, in the order Apodiformes.
What does the Rufous Hummingbird eat?
The Rufous Hummingbird is a nectarivore — it feeds mainly on nectar.
Does the Rufous Hummingbird migrate?
The Rufous Hummingbird is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Rufous Hummingbird endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Rufous Hummingbird make?
1 real field recording of the Rufous Hummingbird — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Rufous Hummingbird's range?
The Rufous Hummingbird has a mapped global range of about 1.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
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Least Concern
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Guides for this bird
Best Hummingbird Feeders
How to choose a hummingbird feeder — the two main styles compared, the right sugar-water mix, and how to keep it clean so the birds stay safe. A decision framework with the hummingbird species in the Birbs encyclopedia.
Meet the Trochilidae
A field guide to the Trochilidae family — 366 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.