Hummingbirds are some of the most fascinating birds in the world. Known for their incredibly fast wing beats, hoverability, and penchant for drinking nectar, these tiny birds captivate people across the globe. One interesting aspect about hummingbirds is their courtship displays and mating behaviors. This raises an intriguing question – do hummingbirds have mating calls?
In short, the answer is yes, hummingbirds do have mating calls. However, they are not vocalizations in the sense of songs or contact calls. Instead, hummingbird mating calls are purely physical displays, produced by specialized feathers during courtship rituals. Male hummingbirds perform elaborate dive displays to court females. During these dives, males produce sounds with their tail feathers to communicate with potential mates.
Different Types of Hummingbird Mating Displays
There are over 300 different species of hummingbirds in the world. Each species has its own unique set of courtship behaviors and mating displays. Here are some of the most common types of hummingbird physical mating displays:
Dive Displays
Male hummingbirds perform dramatic dive displays, flying up 30-100 feet in the air and then quickly diving to the ground in front of a female. As the males dive, they spread their tail feathers to produce loud chirps and whistles. This “mating sound” is made by specialized tail feathers that flutter in the wind.
Some examples of hummingbirds known for these dive displays include Anna’s hummingbirds, Allen’s hummingbirds, and the broad-tailed hummingbird. The sound produced by a diving male Anna’s hummingbird has been compared to a high-pitched squeaky dog toy!
Shuttle Displays
In shuttle displays, the male flies back and forth in a U-shaped pattern in front of the female. The male’s wings will beat incredibly quickly, up to 200 times per second, producing a loud buzzing or humming noise. The Allen’s hummingbird and rufous hummingbird are known for their spectacular shuttle displays.
Aerial Displays
Some male hummingbirds perform aerial displays high up in the air above a perched female. The male flies in different patterns, such as wide circles or figure-8s. During these aerial dances, males will produce buzzing sounds with their wing feathers as they shake and vibrate their wings in special manners. Violet-tailed sylphs are tropical hummingbirds famous for their elaborate high-flying dances.
Perch Displays
In perch displays, the male will perch next to the female and spread his tail feathers into a fan-shape. He will shake his feathers, often moving his head back and forth or turning around in circles to face the female. The fluttering of the tail feathers creates buzzing sounds. Calliope hummingbirds and Allen’s hummingbirds have courtship rituals that incorporate perch displays.
Why Do Hummingbirds Make Mating Sounds?
Hummingbirds don’t vocalize mating calls with their voices. Instead, they rely on specialized tail feathers and flight behaviors to produce sounds. But why do they create these unique mating calls? There are a few key reasons:
Attract Attention
The sounds created by dive displays, shuttle flights, and feather shaking serve to grab the female’s attention, signaling that a male is present and ready to mate. The noises help the male stand out from his competitors.
Demonstrate Fitness
A male who can expertly execute complex mating dances shows the female that he has the strength, stamina, health, and energetic resources needed to be a fit mate. Creating louder sounds can also signal better physical condition.
Transfer Courtship Details
The quality and modulation of the mating sounds may encode information about the male that helps females evaluate fitness. For example, a higher pitched, more rapid dive call could signal a younger, fitter male.
Scare Off Rivals
The sounds produced during mating displays also help scare away competing males from the female’s territory. Loud, elaborate calls signal the performing male is strong and ready to fight off intruders if needed.
Unique Hummingbird Tail Feathers
So how exactly do hummingbirds make those mating sounds with their tail feathers? Hummingbirds have uniquely shaped outer tail feathers that enable them to flutter and produce noise. Here are some key features that allow hummingbird tails to function as mating call producers:
Thin and Narrow
The tail feathers responsible for making the sounds are very thin, narrow, and lightweight. This allows them to flutter and vibrate easily in the wind.
Asymmetrical Vanes
The individual strands that make up a feather are called vanes. Hummingbird tail vanes are of uneven lengths, with one side longer than the other. This causes the feather to flutter irregularly and generate sound.
No Hooklets
Most bird feathers have tiny hooks called barbules that zip the vanes together into a smooth, flat surface. Sound-making hummingbird feathers lack these hooklets, keeping the vanes free to flutter independently.
Stiff Rachis
The rachis is the central shaft of the feather. Hummingbird tail rachises are flattened and stiffened, so the feathers can vibrate like reeds in the wind.
Hummingbird Species | Mating Display Style | Distinctive Sound Features |
---|---|---|
Anna’s Hummingbird | Dive displays | Squeaky, whistling sounds |
Allen’s Hummingbird | Dive displays, shuttle displays | Buzzing, metallic chirps |
Broad-tailed Hummingbird | Dive displays | Chirp-whistle hybrid sounds |
Rufous Hummingbird | Shuttle displays | Loud, buzzy trills |
Violet-tailed Sylph | Aerial displays | Wing buzzes and whistles |
Calliope Hummingbird | Perch displays | Short buzzing bursts |
When and Where do Hummingbirds Perform Mating Displays?
Hummingbird mating behaviors are precisely timed to match the brief window when females are fertile. Here is an overview of when and where different mating displays occur:
Early Spring
Hummingbird courtship begins in early spring as the birds return from migration. Males will perform mating dances on and around female nesting territories. Mating typically happens within one to two weeks of the female arriving back from migration.
Near Nests and Feeders
Males will pursue and court females in areas with good nesting spots and food resources. Displays often occur on or near hanging nests or feeders loaded with sugary nectar, signaling a quality territory.
Dawn and Dusk
Hummingbirds are most active at dawn and dusk. Their mating rituals will often coincide with these peak activity periods when food and energy levels are highest. Low sunlight also excellently shows off flashy male plumage.
20-40 Feet High
Most mating displays happen 20-40 feet off the ground, allowing sound production to carry but keeping displays visible. However, some species like the violet-tailed sylph perform at heights over 65 feet.
Do Females Make Mating Calls?
In most hummingbird species, the males take the active role in courtship through sound and movement displays. However, female hummingbirds play an important part as well. Some ways female hummingbirds respond to mating displays include:
Watching Displays
Females will observe male courtship rituals, watching to assess fitness and skill. Active watching signals she is interested.
Perch Posture
How a female positions herself on a perch communicates receptiveness. Turning toward the displaying male and fluffing feathers shows interest.
Flying toward Males
If a female is ready to mate, she may fly toward an actively displaying male. Following a courting male signals she consents.
Soft Chip Calls
On occasion, a consenting female may vocalize soft chip or squeak calls in response to male displays. This guides the male to her location.
Raising Wings
A receptive female may briefly raise her wings toward an impressive male display, inviting him to come mate with her.
So while female hummingbird vocalizations are rare and quiet, their physical behaviors and posture choices do provide important mating call feedback to males.
What Happens After Mating?
Mating is only a brief part of the hummingbird reproductive cycle. Here is what happens next:
Nest Building
The female will gather materials and construct a small cup-shaped nest out of spider silk, lichen, and down feathers glued together with saliva. She builds this nest without any help from the male.
Egg Laying
Depending on the species, the female will lay either two or three tiny white eggs within a week after mating. The eggs are about half the size of a jellybean.
Incubation
The female alone will incubate the eggs for 14-23 days. She patiently sits on the nest to provide heat and protection for the developing chicks.
Care of Hatchlings
Once the eggs hatch, the female takes full responsibility for feeding and caring for the chicks. The chicks will remain in the nest for 18-28 days before leaving the nest for good.
No Parenting by Males
Male hummingbirds provide absolutely no parenting. Their role is limited strictly to mating displays. All hummingbird dads flit off after mating, leaving the female to raise the young alone.
Unique Aspects of Hummingbird Mating
Beyond their signature mating calls, here are some other fascinating facts about hummingbird reproduction:
- Hummingbirds are polygamous, with males mating with multiple females each season.
- Females generally only reproduce once or twice per year, even though males may mate dozens of times.
- Some tropical species can breed multiple times per year when abundant food is available.
- Many temperate hummingbird species are promiscuous, with females mating with multiple males.
- Male hummingbirds don’t actually have an external penis. They possess a pair of penile bulbs instead that deliver sperm.
- Depending on the species, hummingbird eggs are smaller than a coffee bean to just larger than a green pea in size.
Conclusion
While hummingbirds don’t have traditional bird songs, they have evolved some of the most elaborate and acrobatic mating displays in the avian world. The whistles, buzzes, and trills males produce with specialized tail feathers and flight behaviors have helped hummingbirds successfully reproduce for millions of years. Next time you spot a colorful male hummingbird performing a captivating dive or shuttle flight, remember he’s also vocalizing a mating call – with his feathers rather than his voice. The diligent female raising hatchlings on her own a few weeks later is proof those mesmerizing mating sounds achieved their ultimate purpose.