Table of Contents

The tiny Rufous Hummingbird connects
some of the most extreme environments
of Canada, Mexico, and the United States
twice each year. Its 8,000-km round-trip
migration, through alpine meadows,
forests, and deserts, from Alaska to Mexico,
is the longest of any bird for its size. It is
a critical continental pollinator, following
waves of flowering plants during migration.
Transporting pollen over huge distances
helps resident plant species by increasing
genetic mixing. Although still abundant,
Rufous Hummingbirds are experiencing
significant population declines.