A dash of red, a sprinkling of iridescent green, a coating of white, and a mad dash to the feeder—what other bird could it be than a hummingbird—in eastern North America, only likely is the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

Photo by C W FCC

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is, in many ways, a particular bird, seeming to prefer to nectar on red and orange flowers. This preference opens up interesting questions of behavioral ecology, evolution, and even etymology. Do the hummingbirds actually prefer red-hued flowers?

Photo by Kelly Colgan Azar