In this invitingly written book, June Osborne paints a fully detailed portrait of perhaps the best-known hummingbird in the United States, the rubythroat. Drawing from her own birdwatching experiences, she offers an "up close and personal" look at a female rubythroat building her nest and rearing young, as well as an account of a day in the life of a male rubythroat and stories of the hummers' migrations between their summer breeding grounds in the United States and Canada and their winter homes the Mexico and Central America.

In addition to this life history, Osborne recounts early hummingbird sightings and tells how the bird received its common and scientific names. After an overview of hummingbirds' distinctive ways of feeding, flying, and conserving energy, she offers a detailed description of the rubyhroat that will help you tell females from males, immature birds from adults, and rubythroats from similar species. Osborne also takes you on a visit to the "Hummer/Bird Celebration" at Rockport, reviews hummingbird banding programs, and explains how to attract hummingbirds to your yard or apartment balcony.