found as high as . Behavior Movement The ruby-topaz hummingbird is migratory, though its movement pattern and timing vary across its range and are not well defined. It appears to move north and south in Brazil and east and west along the north coast of South America and the offshore islands. Feeding The ruby-topaz hummingbird feeds on nectar from a wide variety of flowering shrubs, trees, epiphytes, cacti, and crops. However, they prefer the flowers of the samaan tree and the Ixora plant since these flowers have a high sugar content. Males defend feeding territories. The species also catches small insects and spiders on the wing and sometimes gleans them from within foliage. Breeding The ruby-topaz hummingbird's breeding season varies across its range. In the northern part it spans from December to June and in much of Brazil from September to March. The female makes a tiny cup nest of fine plant fibers and spider silk decorated on the outside with lichens. It places it on a branch or in a branch fork, typically between above the ground. The clutch size is two eggs. The incubation time is 15 to 16 days with fledging usually 19 to 22 days after hatch, though sometimes as long as 28 days. Vocalization The ruby-topaz hummingbird's song is "a doubled 'tliii...tliii...tliii'", which is usually given from a high perch. Status The IUCN has assessed the ruby-topaz hummingbird as being of Least Concern, though its population size and trend are unknown. It is a "[c]ommon resident in the lowlands and coastal ranges" and "[r]eadily accepts man-made habitats''. Gallery References Further reading External links The Hummingbird Society - photographs of this and other hummingbird species Stamps (for Brazil, Guyana, Netherlands Antilles, Suriname, Venezuela) with RangeMap Ruby-topaz Hummingbird photo gallery VIREO Polytminae Birds of Colombia Birds of Venezuela Birds of Trinidad and Tobago Birds of the Guianas Birds of Brazil Birds of the Caribbean Hummingbird species of South America ruby-topaz hummingbird ruby-topaz hummingbird Birds of the Amazon Basin