A Touch of Ruby

A charming hummingbird greeting card featuring a detailed watercolor illustration of a first-year male Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) perched on a hand-painted red watercolor stroke. The bird is rendered with delicate, naturalistic feather detail, from its olive-to-iridescent green crown and finely layered brown and charcoal wing feathers to its pale cream breast and softly blushed belly. Its long, slender black bill, glossy dark eye, compact rounded body, and tiny gripping feet are carefully illustrated to capture the distinctive character of the species.

One of the most striking details is the bird’s developing throat plumage. Rather than the full ruby-red gorget of a mature adult male, this young hummingbird has a mostly pale, finely speckled throat with a small cluster of vivid ruby-red feathers beginning to emerge. This transitional plumage is characteristic of a first-year male as he gradually develops the brilliant red throat associated with an adult Ruby-throated Hummingbird.