Hummingbird Courtship Behavior
Hummingbirds perform miraculous displays of courtship behavior. The spatuletail hummingbird’s dance is, according to National Geographic, one of the most bizarre bird mating rituals in the world. Male hummingbirds establish a territory and defend it against intruding males. The male with the most blooming flowers in his territory attracts the most females.
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Dance
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A World of Hummingbirds website says the male will puff up his chest and toss his head around in order to show off colorful feathers. Several species such as Allen hummingbirds will fly wildly back and forth in front of the female with their bodies elongated and tail feathers extended to the maximum length. Female hummingbirds sometimes perform dances in return.
Dive
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The courtship dive is a display of strength and endurance that is performed by male hummingbirds. At the beginning of the mating season, males climb upwards of 60 feet or more, according to the How to Enjoy Hummingbirds website. They dive back toward the earth reaching top speeds of 50 miles per hour, averaging 30 miles per hour. The hummingbirds fly in a U-shaped arc, pulling out of the dive as they get near the female. This is done several times in succession.
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Spatuletail
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Video of this hummingbird’s bizarre courtship ritual was first captured in April of 2007 in Peru. According to National Geographic, male hummingbirds attack each other while flailing their extravagant tails. The spatuletail’s tail is twice the length of its body and tipped with spoon-like feathers called spatules.
Song
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Peeps and chatters often accompany a hummingbird's mating dance. The Gardening for Wildlife website says that Anna hummingbirds are best known for their songs. Sometimes hummingbirds form what World of Hummingbirds calls a “lek.” This is when groups of male hummingbirds get together and sing for the females. There are as many as 100 hummingbirds in a lek.
Nest
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After a female chooses her mate, she builds the nest. She’ll build in trees or ground cover, depending on the species. A hummingbird nest is made of plants, hair, lichen and grass. It is held together with spider webs. The female builds and maintains the nest alone. The males go their separate ways after mating. A typical nest is the size of a golf ball or a half dollar.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit hummingbird image by Photoeyes from Fotolia.com
