Facts about ruby-throated hummingbirds

• Ruby-throated hummingbirds are very tiny. They are only three inches (7–8 cm)  long with an 8–11 cm wingspan.
• Their beaks are almost half as long as the rest of their bodies.
• The Archilochus colubris is the only species of hummingbird that regularly nests east of the Mississippi River in North America.
• With their long beaks and tongues ruby-throated hummingbirds are able to get the sweet nectar from deep down in flowers. 
• The species is dimorphic.
• The male is smaller than the female, and has a slightly shorter beak.
• Ruby-throated hummingbirds can fly forward, backward, or straight up and down. By keeping their wings moving very fast, they can also poise ín mid-air. 
• Muscles make up 25-30% of their body weight.
• Their feet are frail and are used only for perching on fine twigs. These tiny birds never run or even walk.
• Ruby-throated hummingbirds build very firm cup-shaped nests out of plant down and other soft materials. 
• Nectar from flowers and flowering trees, as well as small insects and spiders, are its main food.
• The mother hummingbird lays two white eggs which are no larger than peas.