Most of the time they don’t look like it.
The males have that dark throat. The females and youngsters don’t even have that.
The male hummingbirds have to flash that red throat, and the lighting has to be just right, to see it really light up. I’ve been waiting and watching, without much success to catch the moment. Then it occurred to me. That brilliant flash? Maybe it’s more of a springtime thing. Then, the birds are on their way north to claim territory, mate, and raise babies. They’re all fired up. On the way south, they’re done for the year. Their colors are more muted. They’re taking the rest of the winter off. That said, I did catch a couple shots of one agitated male revealing that yes, he truly is a ruby-throat.
