Bird field guide · Hummingbirds

Photographing the Ruby-throated Hummingbird

How to photograph the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris): the right lens for its size, shutter speeds for perched and moving animals, and when it's most often seen (August and September).

7–12 cm1/4000 s+ (or 1/250 s with multi-flash to freeze wings)

7–12 cm

Typical length (family range)

1/1000 s

Shutter: perched / still

1/4000 s+ (or 1/250 s with multi-flash to freeze wings)

Shutter: action / flight

f/5.6–f/8

Aperture

89,013

Research-grade sightings in N. America

Recommended camera settings#

ModeManual + Auto ISOLock shutter & aperture, let ISO float

Shutter (still)1/1000 s

Shutter (action)1/4000 s+ (or 1/250 s with multi-flash to freeze wings)

Aperturef/5.6–f/8

FocusAF-C + subject/eye detectionPre-focus on a favourite perch or feeder flower and wait; their wings beat 50–80 times a second.

DriveHigh-speed burst

Lens400–600 mmFull-frame equivalent

Focal length needed to frame it#

For a subject about 10 cm long filling a third or half of the frame width horizontally. Small birds demand long lenses and a close approach — a blind or feeder setup helps.

Distance	⅓ of frame (FF)	½ of frame (FF)	⅓ of frame (APS-C)	⅓ of frame (MFT)
5 m (16 ft)	556 mm	796 mm	371 mm	278 mm
10 m (33 ft)	1,112 mm	1,593 mm	741 mm	556 mm
15 m (49 ft)	1,667 mm	2,389 mm	1,112 mm	834 mm
20 m (66 ft)	2,223 mm	3,186 mm	1,482 mm	1,112 mm
30 m (98 ft)	3,335 mm	4,779 mm	2,223 mm	1,667 mm
50 m (164 ft)	5,558 mm	7,965 mm	3,705 mm	2,779 mm

When to find it#

Share of iNaturalist observations by month across North America. Peak months: August and September.

About the Ruby-throated Hummingbird#

The ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) is a species of hummingbird that generally spends the winter in Central America, Mexico, and Florida, and migrates to Canada and other parts of Eastern North America for the summer to breed. It is by far the most common hummingbird seen east of the Mississippi River in North America.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia via iNaturalist (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Field-craft tips#

Feeders and nectar flowers create predictable perches.
Iridescent gorgets only glow when the bird faces the light — angle yourself toward the sun.
A 1.4× teleconverter and minimum focus distance matter more than the longest lens.
Pre-focus on a favourite perch or feeder flower and wait; their wings beat 50–80 times a second.
Sightings peak in August and September, which is when you'll have the most chances.
Tiny subjects: get close with a hide or feeder perch rather than cropping heavily.

Ethics#

The welfare of the animal comes first: if it changes its behaviour because of you, you are too close.
Stay on trails, respect closures around nests, leks, dens and haul-outs.
Avoid playback and baiting in sensitive seasons; never bait predators.
Don't share precise locations of rare, nesting or roosting animals publicly.