Couple of musings on this topi:

.  "ruby" +  bird  evokes in my mind the "ruby throated humming-bird".

   Humming birds are small, exotic, unique amongst birds and wonderfully
   engineered. (Its the only bird that can hover and even move back-wards.) 

   Hmmm ... sounds familiar? :-)

   A google search shows up many pictures.  Few of which I've included
   below: 

      http://www.birdnature.com/sep1897/ruby.html

   Interesting quote from the above:
  
        Is it a gem, half bird,
        Or is it a bird, half gem?
            --- EDGAR FAWCETT.

   Few more links:

     http://members.aol.com/tarheelsw/private/hummingbird.htm
     http://employeeweb.myxa.com/rrb/Audubon/VolIV/00417.html
     http://www.jjaudubon.com/boa_ro/plates/plate253.html
     http://www.flash.net/~wlearly/rubyhbrd.htm
     http://www.wlcastleman.com/birds/humm1.htm
     http://www.northbirding.com/idtraining/guide/ch5sec6.htm#RUBY-THROATED 


. a "thingy" mascot in the spirit of Java's Duke and the Atlanta Olympics
  "Izzy" also sounds fine.


. A candidate name for the mascot/logo could be "Rox" as in
 
      Rox the humming bird
      Rox the ruby

  (playing on "ruby rocks" --- both noun and verb forms)

Cheers,

Raja