Add a touch of natural beauty and vibrant color to your home with this Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Poster by Swell Scenes. Featuring eastern North America's only breeding hummingbird in stunning modern illustration style, this artwork captures the iridescent green plumage, distinctive ruby-red throat, and incredible energy of one of nature's most beloved tiny birds. With bright botanical elements and dynamic composition, this print celebrates the wonder of these precision-flying jewels that glitter in summer gardens before their remarkable migration to Central America. Perfect for bird lovers, nature enthusiasts, backyard birders, and anyone enchanted by the magic of hummingbirds at their feeders.
Why You'll Love It
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Iconic Eastern Hummingbird: Celebrates the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, the sole breeding hummingbird species east of the Great Plains and a beloved summer visitor to gardens throughout the eastern United States and Canada.
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Vibrant Modern Design: Bright colors showcase the bird's brilliant iridescent green back, white underparts, and the male's shimmering ruby-red throat that changes color in sunlight.
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Perfect Bird Lover Gift: Ideal for backyard birders, hummingbird feeder enthusiasts, Audubon members, nature photographers, or anyone captivated by these tiny aerial acrobats.
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Cottagecore Nature Aesthetic: Botanical elements and warm tones create a charming, nature-inspired design perfect for farmhouse, cottage, or garden-themed home decor.
About Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) holds a special place in the hearts of eastern North Americans as the region's only breeding hummingbird—if you've spotted a hummingbird east of the Great Plains, it's almost certainly a Ruby-throat. These remarkable tiny birds weigh a mere 3 grams (about the weight of a penny) yet accomplish one of nature's most impressive feats: a nonstop 500-mile flight across the Gulf of Mexico during migration, taking 18 to 22 hours of continuous flight. Before this incredible journey, Ruby-throats nearly double their body weight from about 3.25 grams to 6 grams by feeding intensively on nectar and insects, fueling up for their marathon flight to and from wintering grounds in Mexico and Central America. Every spring starting in late February and March, male Ruby-throats arrive first in the southern United States, establishing territories before females follow days later. By summer, they spread throughout eastern North America from the Gulf Coast to southern Canada, bringing jewel-like brilliance to gardens, woodland edges, and anywhere tubular flowers bloom. Adult males display the distinctive iridescent ruby-red throat (called a gorget) that appears to glow when caught in the right light, while females and juveniles lack this feature, showing white throats instead. Both sexes sport brilliant metallic green backs that shimmer in sunlight. These precision fliers beat their wings approximately 53 times per second (over 3,000 beats per minute) and can hover in place, fly backwards, and zip away at speeds up to 30 mph. Their hearts beat up to 1,260 times per minute during flight, and they must visit hundreds of flowers daily to meet their extreme energy requirements. Ruby-throats feed primarily on nectar from tubular flowers—favoring red or orange blooms like trumpet vine, cardinal flower, bee balm, trumpet honeysuckle, and wild bergamot—but they also consume small insects, spiders, and gnats for essential protein and fat. They're crucial pollinators, transferring pollen as they feed from flower to flower with their specialized long bills and tongues that extend deep into blossoms. In backyard gardens, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds become remarkably bold, hovering at feeders and hanging plants just feet from people, returning faithfully each year to the same territories. Summer gardens can transform into buzzing clouds of hummingbirds as multiple birds visit feeders throughout the day, their wings creating the characteristic humming sound that gives them their name. Males are solitary and territorial, often seen defending prime feeding spots and performing elaborate courtship displays—diving in U-shaped patterns before females. Females build tiny cup nests about the size of a walnut on tree branches, using spider silk to bind plant down and lichen, then raising 1-2 broods per season while males leave to continue their solitary lives. By late August and September, Ruby-throats begin their fall migration southward, with some choosing to fly directly across the Gulf of Mexico again while others take coastal routes around the Gulf—recent research suggests juveniles prefer safer coastal routes while experienced adults may risk the direct crossing. A few Ruby-throats stay year-round along the Gulf Coast and southern Atlantic coast during mild winters, but most winter in southern Mexico and Central America, from the Yucatan Peninsula through Costa Rica and Panama. Protected since the early 1900s by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act after being hunted for their beautiful plumage, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds remain common and beloved summer visitors that inspire millions of people to maintain feeders and plant nectar gardens. Their incredible migration, aerial agility, fearless personality, and jewel-like beauty make them one of North America's most captivating birds—tiny miracles that brighten summer days before vanishing each fall on journeys that span thousands of miles. This poster celebrates the vibrant colors, remarkable abilities, and pure joy that Ruby-throated Hummingbirds bring to gardens and wild spaces throughout eastern North America.
Print & Frame Details
- Premium 189gsm matte paper using archival pigment inks
- Framed options include a 0.75″ (1.9 cm) Ayous wood frame in black, white, or natural
- Lightweight Acrylite front protector and hanging hardware included
- Available in multiple sizes, framed or unframed
- Printed to order to reduce waste and support sustainable practices
Thoughtful Craftsmanship
At Swell Scenes, every print is made to order with museum-quality materials. Our nature-inspired art series celebrates wildlife, birds, and the natural world—made for nature lovers, birders, and anyone who finds beauty and wonder in the creatures that share our world.
About Swell Scenes
Swell Scenes transforms beloved wildlife and natural beauty into bold, vibrant artwork that fits any space. With a passion for birds, nature, and the wonder of the natural world, our posters celebrate the species and moments that inspire connection to the outdoors.
