AnimalsHummingbirds are tiny birds of the Americas that can hover in one place and even fly backwards. Their wings beat so fast that they hum. They feed on flower nectar and small insects.
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Archilochus colubris
- Group
- Birds
- Diet
- Omnivore (eats plants and animals)
- Lives in
- North and Central America
- Habitat
- Woodland edges and gardens
- A young one is called
- chick
- A group is called
- charm
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
How it is classified
Scientists sort living things into groups within groups. Reading down, each step is a smaller group, ending with the species itself.
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Aves
- Order Apodiformes
- Family Trochilidae
- Genus Archilochus
- Species Archilochus colubris
Classification follows the GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Other reference works arrange some groups differently. How classification works.
Is it in danger?
The ruby-throated hummingbird is listed as Least Concern. The species is widespread or numerous enough that it is not considered at risk of extinction at present.
This is the IUCN Red List category as recorded in Wikidata on 11 November 2026. The IUCN Red List itself is the authority and may carry a newer assessment. What the categories mean.