Selasphorus rufus

Hummingbirds have always reminded me of flying jewels. One of the more colorful hummingbirds is the rufous, which is now arriving in Utah.

A rufous hummingbird weighs 2-5 grams and is 3-4 inches long. These birds show extensive rusty, or rufous, colored blazes on their sides. Males have an iridescent red throat and a reddish back with no shine.

Make sure your nectar feeders are ready to greet them. They also will visit blossoms that are tube- or bell-shaped. The blossom shape is more important than its color.

You can make nectar, using a 4:1 ratio of boiling water to sugar. Do not use red dye; it is not metabolized by the bird and can harm its liver. Remember to change and refresh the nectar every three or four days. Hang it where it will not be in full sun all day.

Rufous hummingbirds follow a northerly spring migration route along the West Coast to the Arctic tundra, where they nest. The fall migration is south through the Intermountain West. Rufous hummingbirds will remain in Utah until approximately Oct. 1.

Adults migrate first. Imagine that you are a juvenile rufous hummer. It is your first year; your parents have recently disappeared, as they migrate two or three weeks before the birds of that year do. You have an urge to go, yet you do not have anyone to follow. Nonetheless, you leave your natal nesting area and migrate. Without any experience, you end up following the same migration path your parents did. Migration is at night when the air is cooler, predators are asleep and you can see stars for navigation.

Bill Fenimore is owner of the Layton Wild Bird Center (www.wildbird.com/layton) and author of Backyard Birds of Utah.