Hummingbird Communication

The small size and beautiful plumage of the hummingbird belies a fierce disposition.

As the smallest and often most brightly colored birds in our backyards, hummingbirds have become some of the most beloved members of the avian kingdom. Despite their jewel-toned plumage and diminutive size, these birds conceal a fearsome disposition that earned them a mythic status in ancient cultures. Hummingbirds communicate in a number of ways not only to attract potential mates but to aggressively defend their territories.

Folklore

The hummingbird is a member of the Trochilidae family which consists of approximately 320 species worldwide. In ancient North and Central American traditions, the hummingbird was often associated with warfare. According to hummingbird expert Connie Toops, the Aztecs believed that fallen soldiers were reincarnated as hummingbirds. These legends were likely based upon the little bird's aggressive competition for food and territory.

Aggression

Hummingbirds communicate through a variety of vocalizations and visual displays often performed in conjunction with one another. Male hummingbirds vigorously defend their breeding grounds by sparring and jousting with their long, slender bills. These battles are often punctuated by what National Geographic describes as "raucous chatter and the shrill, metallic wing trill of adult males." Species-specific vocabularies of "chirps, shrieks and snarls" as well as "twittery chase notes" are often heard during these battles.

Courtship

Stunning aerial acrobatics are another common means of hummingbird communication, indicating either offensive maneuvering or an attempt to attract the attention of a female. Horizontal flight in side-by-side formation known as "shuttle displays" are an unmistakable indicator of courtship. The male hummingbird repeatedly flies back and forth in front of the female who will indicate her acceptance of his advances with a display of her own. A J-shaped dive with simultaneous popping sounds created by the feathers not only indicates her consent, it alerts males of other species to stay away.

Feathers

One of the most fascinating means of hummingbird communication is their specially modified feathers. Some feathers are capable of producing the famous humming sound after which the bird was named, which often figures prominently into courtship rituals. When the male pulls out of a dive during a mating dance, the specialized tail feathers of some species produce a popping sound. The ability to communicate audibly though the use of plumage is one of the most remarkable capabilities of the hummingbird.

Songs

Although not as complex as some of the better known mimics of the bird world such as the mockingbird, hummingbirds are among the few species that are capable of learning and repeating sounds. Certain species such as the Anna's and blue-throated hummingbirds have individual songs that develop over the bird's lifetime by the incorporation of phrases from other birds. For birds less skilled in mimicry, the buzzing and humming of a hummingbird's beating wings may substitute for song in certain species, resulting in a method of communication unique to this fascinating little bird.

References

• "Hummingbirds, Jewels in Flight"; Connie Toops; 1992
• "National Geographic Reference Atlas to the Birds of North America"; Mel Braughman, ed.; 2003