The birds fly night and day for two full days. The ruby-throated hummingbird is the only species of hummingbird that breeds east of the Mississippi River. In the spring, males arrive first and establish breeding territories that they defend vigorously. Despite their diminutive size, hummingbirds are very aggressive birds.
Hummingbirds are a lot of fun to watch in the garden.
They are the only birds that can fly backward, hover and even do aerial flips. They are extremely agile, fast birds. Speeds in excess of 45 miles per hour have been recorded. Their metabolic rate is so high that they must consume half of their weight in sugar each day. Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red.