The back and head of the hummingbird are irridescent green, the underparts are white, and the males' throat is bright red. Although the ruby-throated hummingbird will consume insects and spiders, its primary food source is nectar. The ruby-throated hummingbird feeds on several different flowering plants, such as honeysuckle, petunias, nasturiums, and lilacs. It also consumes the sap tha runs from holes made by the yellow-bellied sap sucker. The bird prefers, however, to feed from plants that produce red flowers.
Hummingbirds eat twice their body weight each day.
The male returns to the breeding zones and establishes a territory before the females arrive. When the females return, courtship begins with the male flying back and fourth in a perfect arc. During courtship, the hummingbird's wings can beat up to 200 times per second as opposed to the normal 90 beats per second. The nest of the humming bird is usually built on a narrow limb of a tree and measures one and a half inches across. Alders are often used, as the bird prefers to nest over water.