Hummingbirds are well known for their energetic flight and their ability to hover and fly backwards. Their tiny size and brilliant, iridescent plumage make them one of the most distinctive and charismatic bird families. But beyond their flashy feathers and flying skills, hummingbirds also have some fascinating and elaborate courtship rituals.
Introduction to Hummingbird Courtship
Courtship displays allow male hummingbirds to show off their fitness to prospective mates. In most hummingbird species, the males perform elaborate courtship rituals to entice the females. These displays involve specialized feathers, flight patterns, vocalizations and other behaviors to attract mates. The rituals serve to demonstrate the male’s strength, health and agility.
Timing is crucial when it comes to hummingbird courtship. The breeding season lasts for only a few months, aligned with the blooming of seasonal flowers that provide nectar. Males arrive first on the breeding grounds and establish courtship territories. When the females arrive, the males perform complex display rituals to show off their desirability as mates.
While the specific behaviors vary by species, some common courtship displays include:
- Flight displays – The male flies in loops, dives or zigzags to show off his flying skills.
- Plumage displays – Special feathers like crests, throat patches and iridescent plumage are shown off.
- Song and call displays – Unique songs and calls get the female’s attention.
- Dancing and posing – The male positions his body in specific ways and dances to impress the female.
- Nest demonstrations – The male builds a nest or adds decorations to show off his nest-building skills.
- Feeding displays – The male feeds the female nectar to show he can provide for her and potential offspring.
The specific rituals vary across the over 300 different hummingbird species. Some of the most interesting and elaborate courtship displays occur in species like Anna’s hummingbird, the bee hummingbird and the magnificent hummingbird.
Plumage Adaptations for Courtship Displays
Male hummingbirds have evolved specialized feather adaptations that they use just during courtship. These feathers allow males to put on visually striking displays to impress females.
Some examples of specialized plumage include:
- Iridescent throat feathers – Males of many species have brightly iridescent gorgets, ruffs or patches that shimmer and change color. These are shown off during courtship dances and displays.
- Elaborate crests – Long, specialized head feathers that can be erected during displays.
- Tail plumes – Outer tail feathers that are elongated and pointed for maximum flashiness.
- Puffy chest feathers – Females lack the fluffy chest plumage that makes males look larger.
The iridescent throat feathers produce shimmering colors using microscopic structures on the feathers that reflect light. Males can orient these feathers toward females for maximum visual impact. The specialized feathers grow in just before breeding season then are replaced by drabber plumage afterward.
Flight Displays
One of the most acrobatic courtship displays is the elaborate flight ritual performed by males. Hummingbirds have tremendous aerial agility and stamina, which males demonstrate to impress potential mates.
Different species have characteristic flight displays that are executed in the presence of females. For example:
- Anna’s hummingbird – Males climb up to 130 feet in the air then dive down in a J-shape at high speeds, making a loud sound by vibrating their tail feathers.
- Allen’s hummingbird – Males fly in looping U-shaped arcs up to 100 feet in the air.
- Ruby-throated hummingbird – Males fly in fast horizontal oval paths in front of the female.
- Bee hummingbird – Males hover in front of females and fly rapidly back and forth.
These physics-defying moves demonstrate the male’s strength and agility. High speed dive displays in particular require tremendous muscle power. The V-shaped dives of Anna’s hummingbirds can reach speeds of over 60 miles per hour!
The displays also show off the specialized tail feathers. During a dive, males will orient their tail feathers toward the female to maximize the visual effects. The dive’s sound is also an important part of the display.
Songs and Calls
Many hummingbird courtship rituals also incorporate unique vocalizations. While hummingbirds do not have complex bird songs, males make various sounds to attract mates.
Some examples of courtship sounds include:
- Short, repeated chipping or squeaking noises
- Buzzing and mechanical sounding notes
- Whining or whistling
- Shrill trills
- Single chips, peeps or whistles
In Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds, males also make elaborate sounds with their specialized tail feathers during courtship dives. The outer tail feathers vibrate to produce loud high-pitched chirps and whistles as air rushes through them.
While these noises may sound simple to our ears, they signal courtship to female hummingbirds and play an important role in the rituals.
Dancing and Posing
Visual displays are also a key part of hummingbird courtship. Males adopt specific poses and movements to show off colorful plumage for their audience.
Some examples of courtship “dancing” and posing include:
- Facing the female and slowly moving the head back and forth
- Rising vertically while fluttering the wings
- Rotating the body to flash colorful plumage
- Rapid hovering with the body in a horizontal pose
- Perching and erecting colorful feathers like a crest
These dancing rituals draw the female’s attention to the male’s colorful features like iridescent throats, tails and crests. The displays demonstrate the male’s agility while precisely controlling its body position in flight.
Nest Demonstrations
In some species like the buff-bellied hummingbird, an important courtship behavior is nest construction. The male will build a complete nest while the female watches.
Females evaluate male nest-building skills when choosing a mate. A sturdy, well-constructed nest helps ensure successful breeding. Watching a male build a nest also shows a female that he has the strength and stamina needed to feed her and the chicks.
Males may decorate or improve their nest during courtship. They may weave in colorful items like feathers, flowers or lichen while the female observes. This demonstrates the male’s nest decoration skills.
Feeding the Female
Food sharing is another courtship behavior in some hummingbird species. The male will catch insects or collect nectar, then pass it to the female as he perches near her.
This courtship feeding demonstrates that the male is capable of providing for the female. It also strengthens the pair bond between the mates. Females can evaluate males based on the taste and amount of food provided.
Related to feeding, males of some species will also defend rich nectar territories. By chasing away other males and predators, they show females that they can protect critical food resources for breeding.
Physical Conflicts Between Males
Things often get physical between male hummingbirds competing for mates. Males will dive bomb each other, grapple in midair with their feet, and fence with their sharp bills in intense battles over territories and females.
These skirmishes allow females to judge male strength and agility. The winner of a clash clearly demonstrates his physical dominance. This fighting also establishes a breeding territory that provides food resources to support the female and offspring.
The most intense fights occur between males of closely related species that sometimes hybridize, like Anna’s and Costa’s hummingbirds. This helps the birds identify appropriate mates from their own species.
Differences Based on Species
While all hummingbirds engage in elaborate courtship rituals, each species has evolved distinctive displays that help attract mates and reinforce species identity.
Some examples of how courtship behaviors vary by species include:
- Broad-tailed hummingbird – Males perform a distinctive pendulum display, swinging back and forth like a pendulum to show off for females.
- Blue-throated hummingbird – Males fly in wide horizontal loops up to 130 feet across.
- Wedge-tailed sabrewing – Males dance facing the female, moving their heads and puffing out their throat feathers.
- Violet-crowned hummingbird – Males sing a distinctive descending scale song during courtship.
Understanding these species-specific displays is still an active area of research. New high-speed cameras reveal more details about movements and aerodynamics during elaborate hummingbird courtship rituals.
Conclusion
Courtship displays play a critical role in hummingbird reproduction. The elaborate rituals observed in many hummingbird species serve an important purpose – allowing both sexes to evaluate potential mates. Females assess male fitness, territory quality, and ability to care for offspring based on courtship displays. At the same time, males test female receptivity.
The rituals involve specialized adaptations like colorful plumage, acrobatic flight displays, songs and dancing. These behaviors likely evolved through sexual selection, resulting in the remarkable courtship pageantry seen in hummingbirds. Understanding courtship provides insight into hummingbird communication, behavior and evolution.