Only the male ruby-throated hummingbird has a red chin. The female’s chin is white or lightly speckled, but not iridescent. Both sexes have long bills for feeding on nectar.
Photo credit: jmwests at Flickr.com

Many plants rely on insects to spread their pollen. In South America, some plants rely on hummingbirds. The birds evolved long or curved bills to match the shape of the flower. When they drink nectar, they pick up pollen from one plant and carry it to another. Bird-pollinated flowers are usually brightly colored, especially red.

In North America, hummingbirds tend to eat from a variety of plants. Nevertheless, scientists believe that as many as 19 plant species in the eastern United States have evolved in response to hummingbird pollination.

In addition to helping flower reproduce, hummingbirds must reproduce themselves. Ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate north in the spring, arriving in Minnesota in May. Males arrive first and establish foraging territories. When the females arrive they build small nests from plant material and spider webs, and disguised with green lichen to resemble a knot on a tree branch.

Once the nest is built, courtship can begin, with males flying back and forth over the female. After a few days, the male flies off and female lays two bean-sized eggs. The newly-hatched young are about the size of a housefly! The mother feeds the hatchlings for about three weeks, at which point they are ready to leave the nest.

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