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Discover Nature: Ruby Throated Hummingbirds

A ruby throated hummingbird hovers above a wildflower as it uses its tongue and beak to extract nectar. Hummingbirds can consume in midflight. Watch for peak numbers of these pollinator birds to arrive in Missouri this month as they begin migrating south.

This week on Discover Nature, watch – and listen – for a tiny, feathered pollinator that sings with its wings.

 

Ruby throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) display metallic green feathers on their upper backs, and males sport a ruby red patch at their throat. 

 

Common across Missouri from April to October, other hummingbirds who nested farther north have already begun their fall migration and are arriving in Missouri – making now a great time to see their numbers peak here. 

 

As these birds head home for the winter, some will fly nonstop over the Gulf of Mexico to reach destinations as far away as South America. 

 

Ruby throated hummingbirds are important for many plant species that require a long-billed pollinator for reproduction.  As they hover and hum, with wings beating about 53 times per second, it’s hard to find a bird more delightful and fascinating to watch. 

 

Learn more about ruby throated hummingbirds with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s online Field Guide.

 

Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Kyle Felling’s work at KBIA spans more than three decades. In 2025, he became KBIA and KMUC's Station Manager. He began volunteering at the station while he was a Political Science student at the University of Missouri. After being hired as a full-time announcer, he served as the long-time local host of NPR’s All Things Considered on KBIA, and was Music Director for a number of years. Starting in 2010, Kyle became KBIA’s Program Director, overseeing on-air programming and operations while training and supervising the station’s on-air staff. During that period, KBIA regularly ranked among the top stations in the Columbia market, and among the most listened to stations in the country. He was instrumental in the launch of KBIA’s sister station, Classical 90.5 FM in 2015, and helped to build it into a strong community resource for classical music. Kyle has also worked as an instructor in the MU School of Journalism, training the next generation of journalists and strategic communicators. In his spare time, he enjoys playing competitive pinball, reading comic books and Joan Didion, watching the Kansas City Chiefs, and listening to Bruce Springsteen and the legendary E Street Band.
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