Hummingbirds are known for the humming sound their wings make as they beat incredibly fast to hover at flowers. But do hummingbirds actually make different sounds beyond just their humming wingbeats? Let’s explore what sounds hummingbirds can make.
Vocalizations
While hummingbirds are not known for their bird songs like many other species, they do make some vocalizations beyond just the humming of their wings. Here are some of the sounds hummingbirds can produce vocally:
- Squeaks and chirps – Hummingbirds may make short, high-pitched squeaking or chirping sounds. These vocalizations are often used in aggressive interactions with other hummingbirds.
- Trills – Some species can produce metallic rolling or trilling sounds with their voices. For example, Anna’s hummingbirds make twittering trills during their courtship displays.
- Chatters – Chatters and chippers may be made when chasing other birds from feeders or territories. The sounds are abrupt and sharp.
So while they do not have elaborate songs, hummingbirds can and do vocalize with their voices beyond just wing humming. The sounds are generally quick, high-pitched, and sharp when they make them.
Sounds made with tail feathers
Hummingbirds also have specially adapted tail feathers that allow them to produce sounds. Males of some species have stiff, narrow tail feathers that vibrate and generate noise when air rushes through them as the birds dive during displays. Here are a few examples:
- Anna’s hummingbird – Makes a loud, sharp “zzziiippp” sound with its tail feathers when diving.
- Allen’s hummingbird – Produces whistling or tone-like sounds with tail feathers.
- Costa’s hummingbird – Makes a “whee, whee” sound with its specialized tail feathers while diving.
These unique tail feather adaptations allow hummingbirds to produce whistling, buzzing, or tone-like sounds without vocalizing. The sounds add to their display repertoire.
Sounds produced by aerial maneuvers
The incredible aerial agility of hummingbirds also allows them to produce sounds with their wings by drawing air through the feathers in specific maneuvers. For example:
- Rufous hummingbird – When breeding, males climb up to 30m into the air before diving, producing a loud, buzzing trill with their wings.
- Anna’s hummingbird – Dives from heights of 6-12m, creating a loud chirp or squeal sound with its wings.
- Black-chinned hummingbird – Makes a metallic, twittering sound with its wings when diving vertically down from heights of 3-6m.
So by moving their wings through the air in specialized dives, hummingbirds can produce uniquely loud sounds without vocalizing. The wing-created noise likely has important non-vocal communication functions.
Bill clicking
In addition to vocalizations, tail feathers, and wings, hummingbirds can also produce sounds with their bills. They may communicate or express aggression by rapidly opening and closing their bills to make clicking sounds. The bill-clicking functions as a non-vocal sound to convey messages.
Why hummingbirds make sounds
Hummingbirds produce sounds both vocally and mechanically for the following reasons:
- Communication – Their squeaks, chirps, chatters, and other sounds convey messages to other birds.
- Expression of aggression – Sounds can advertise aggression and competitiveness, like during territory disputes.
- Courtship – Special songs and dive displays with sounds help attract potential mates.
- Non-vocal communication – Dive chirps, wing trills, and bill clicking allow communication without vocalizing.
By extending their communication abilities beyond just vocalizations, hummingbirds can better express themselves and send information to other birds.
Variation between species
There is considerable variation between hummingbird species in the specific sounds they can produce:
- Some species, like ruby-throated hummingbirds, are limited to simpler squeaks and chips.
- Others, like Anna’s hummingbird, can produce more complex songs, chatters, and loud wing trills.
- Males tend to have more elaborate sound capabilities than females during courtship.
- Some species lack specialized tail feathers for sound production.
- The same sound, like chirping, may be made in different behavioral contexts depending on the species.
So while all hummingbirds are capable of some minimal vocalizations, there are differences between species in the complexity of sounds they can produce with their voices, wings, tails, and bills.
Regional dialects
Within some hummingbird species, there appear to be regional dialects in sounds. For example:
- Male Allen’s hummingbirds have two main song types, with western and eastern coastal populations singing different dialect songs.
- The dawn songs of Anna’s hummingbirds across California vary geographically in their number of syllables and complexity.
- Costa’s hummingbirds in Arizona make lower-pitched tail feather sounds compared to those in California.
Researchers hypothesize the regional sound differences could arise through limited dispersal or cultural drift in isolated populations. But more study is needed on hummingbird dialects.
How they make humming sounds
The characteristic humming sound of their wings is produced by specialized physiology and flight ability:
- Wings beat at incredibly fast speeds of 50-200 flaps per second to produce the humming.
- Asymmetrical stroke plane moves their wings in a figure-eight pattern for lift.
- Rigid wings prevent flapping from creating turbulence or sounds.
- Feathers are oriented to produce smooth airflow over the wing.
This allows the wings to function aerodynamically and quietly as they beat at speeds that produce a consistent humming tone we hear.
Pitch variation in hums
Though the hum generally sounds consistent to our ears, there is actually subtle pitch variation within each wingbeat stroke. High-speed video reveals that:
- Pitch increases as the wings accelerate during the downstroke.
- Pitch decreases as wings decelerate at the end of each upstroke and downstroke.
- The amplitude of the pitch change correlates with wing acceleration.
Small adjustments in wing muscles allow hummingbirds to finely tune the pitch changes within their wingbeats for precise control.
How wings make other sounds
The wings can also create non-humming sounds through specific flying maneuvers:
- Diving: When diving, air rushes through wings to produce loud chirps, squeals, or tone-like sounds depending on species.
- Aerial climbs: Vertical climbs generate a buzzing or whirling sound as airflow through the wings accelerates.
- Display shakes: Males perform display shakes in flight to create whirring sounds.
Specialized wing control and aerodynamics allow hummingbirds to produce an assortment of unique sounds with their wings beyond just the background humming.
Identifying species by sound
Because hummingbird sounds are often distinctive to each species, they can be used for identification:
- Anna’s hummingbirds produce loud metallic chirps during their breeding dives, identifiable by ear.
- The buzzing “bee-bee” call of the rufous hummingbird is diagnostic for the species.
- Black-chinned hummingbirds have a distinctive high-pitched, nasal “zee” call.
Experienced birders learn to identify common hummingbird species by learning their characteristic sounds and vocalizations.
Recording hummingbird sounds
To study hummingbird sounds and acoustics, researchers may carefully record them using special equipment:
- High-speed cameras film wing movements in slow motion to correlate with sounds.
- Sensitive microphones capture subtle vocalizations.
- Sound spectra analyses detect pitch patterns.
Advances in audio technology have enabled more detailed field studies of hummingbird sounds and communication.
Mimicking hummingbird sounds
People sometimes attempt mimicking hummingbird sounds to attract them. Methods include:
- Squeaking with lips or small call toys to imitate chirps.
- Whistling ascending and descending pitches for a dive call.
- Creating rapid buzzing or clicking noises similar to their chatter.
However, mimicking hummingbird vocalizations to draw them near is controversial, as it may disrupt their natural behavior.
Conclusion
In summary, research shows hummingbirds can produce an impressive variety of sounds beyond their characteristic wing humming through specialized vocalizations, tail feather adaptations, aerial maneuvers, and bill-clicking. The sounds help hummingbirds communicate, display aggression, court mates, and deliver non-vocal messages. Pitch control in wingbeats and regional sound dialects also suggest hummingbirds have precise control over their sounds. So next time you hear a hummingbird, listen more closely and you may detect the unique repertoire of noises they can create.
