Emerald green back, white breast and throat, rounded tail with white tips. Larger than the male, with longer bill. Young of both sexes look like the adult female. In August and September, young males may develop some red spots in the gorget. One complete molt per year, which may start during the fall migration and continue into March.
Young males acquire full ruby gorgets during their first molt.
More commonly, though, the shape and presence of white on the tail is a more reliable field mark. Distribution and Migration Ruby-throats breed throughout eastern to midwestern North America, from southern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Most winter in Mexico, Central America, and on Caribbean islands, although a few remain in the Gulf states and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. By mid-November the fall migration is essentially completed throughout North America. A fanciful and amusing myth has arisen regarding hummers hitching rides on other birds.