Hummingbirds are known for their ability to hover in midair and for the humming sound created by their rapidly beating wings. But do these tiny birds also vocalize with chirps and songs? The short answer is yes, hummingbirds do vocalize. While not all species are equally vocal, many hummingbirds use chirps and vocalizations to communicate with each other, particularly during courtship and territorial displays.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at hummingbird vocalizations, when and why they vocalize, the differences between species, how their songs and calls sound to human ears, and how scientists study hummingbird sounds and communications. Read on to learn more about the surprisingly complex vocal abilities of these small but mighty birds.
Do hummingbirds make noise?
Yes, absolutely! Hummingbirds vocalize using both songs/chirps and mechanical sounds. Here are the main types of noises hummingbirds make:
Chirps and vocalizations
Most hummingbirds produce chirps, squeaks, whistles and other vocal sounds. Males often sing to attract females or proclaim territory. Females may use call notes to signal males or communicate with their young. Vocalizations are particularly prominent during the breeding season.
Humming wings
The humming or buzzing sound made by their rapidly beating wings gives hummingbirds their name. As wings beat at speeds over 50 times per second, airflow causes vibrations that produce a humming noise. The pitch and volume varies by species. This “hum” plays a role in courtship displays.
Tail feathers
Some species, like Anna’s and Allen’s hummingbirds, produce mechanical sounds with their tail feathers during courtship dives. Males climb up to 130 feet before diving past females. Tail feathers vibrate and flutter, making a loud chirping or popping noise.
Bills
During aggressive encounters, male hummingbirds may communicate with bill-clicking sounds by snapping their bills together. Bill clicking serves as a warning to other males.
So while hummingbirds don’t have vocal cords like parrots, they actively utilize vocalizations, mechanical sounds and non-vocal sounds like bill clicking as part of their communication strategies.
Why do hummingbirds vocalize?
Hummingbirds appear to vocalize for several key reasons:
Attracting mates
Male hummingbirds often sing complex songs to court females and advertise their fitness during mating season. Loud, complex songs communicate that a male is healthy and strong. Females seem to prefer, and will approach, more vocal males.
Communicating with mates
Partners may use call notes to check in with each other. For example, a male may produce “chip” notes when bringing food to the female. Paired birds may also vocalize to coordinate mating or nesting activities.
Establishing territories
Male songs and calls proclaim ownership of feeding territories and signal trespassing to other males. Fierce vocal displays often settle territorial disputes without physical contact.
Interacting with young
Female hummingbirds sing quiet, high-pitched notes to their chicks, possibly signaling the presence of food or communicating other information. Baby hummingbirds begin practicing their begging calls while still in the nest.
Expressing alarm or aggression
Harsh, scolding chirps are used to signal danger or drive away intruders near a nest. Both males and females may produce alarm calls in response to predators.
Identifying species
Many ornithologists use differences in hummingbird vocals to help identify and study various species in the wild, suggesting distinct songs and dialects exist.
So hummingbird vocal communication plays important roles in courtship, mating, territoriality, parent-child interactions and warning signals. Their surprisingly complex vocal abilities help facilitate breeding, survival and defense of resources.
When do hummingbirds vocalize?
Hummingbird vocal activity increases during the breeding season, which varies by species. In North America, the breeding season generally runs from February through August, reaching a peak in late spring and summer.
Here are some key occasions when vocalizations may increase:
Courtship displays
Elaborate courtship rituals, featuring diving displays, loud song and rapid wing-humming, begin in late winter and early spring as birds establish territories and seek mates.
Arrival at nesting sites
In spring, males arrive at breeding areas a week or two before females and sing persistently to claim optimal nesting locations.
Females near nests
Vocalization rates rise when females appear in a male’s territory and approach the nest. Partners call back and forth frequently during this period.
Territorial disputes
Rival males engage in intense vocal duels along territory borders to deter invaders, especially during peak mating season.
Nest exchanges
Parents vocalize when exchanging incubation and nestling feeding duties, which ramps up as young hatch and require more care.
Fledging
Mom and dad use calls to encourage first flights and provide fledglings with feeding cues as the young birds learn to fly and forage.
So hummingbird singing and vocalizations tend to peak during courtship and nesting. But some species live in tropical regions where breeding can occur year-round, and even temperate hummingbirds may vocalize outside the peak breeding season.
Do male & female hummingbirds both vocalize?
Yes, both male and female hummingbirds vocalize. However, males tend to be more vocal, especially during courtship. Here’s how vocalization tendencies differ by sex:
Males
– Produce complex, louder songs to court females and defend territories
– Sing persistent dawn songs and courtship songs
– Make mechanical sounds with tail feathers during dives
– Use bill-clicking as a warning signal
– Call aggressively to drive other males away
Females
– Vocalize less frequently overall than males
– Use soft calls and notes to interact with mates and offspring
– Give high-pitched “chip” notes when males approach the nest
– Make alarm or scolding calls to signal danger
– May produce lower-pitched songs in a few species like Allen’s and Rufous
So while male vocal virtuosity tends to get more attention, female hummingbird sounds also play vital communication roles, particularly in parent-child interactions.
Do all hummingbird species vocalize?
Most, but not all, hummingbird species use some form of vocal communication. Here are a few differences by species:
Greater Vocalizers
Species like Anna’s, Costa’s, Allen’s, Rufous, Black-chinned, and Broad-tailed hummingbirds vocalize frequently with diverse songs, calls and mechanical sounds.
Minimal Vocalizers
A few species like Calliope, Berylline and Violet-crowned hummingbirds do not seem to vocalize much, if at all, though more study is needed.
Whistlers
Some tropical species, like the Wire-crested Thorntail, vocalize with whistles, trills and buzzes. Many tropical species have not been thoroughly studied.
Shriekers
The Bee hummingbird produces loud, piercing shrieks surprisingly disproportionate to its tiny size.
Duetters
In Ecuadorian Hillstars, pairs may vocalize together in a unique duet during the breeding season.
So while all hummingbirds do not vocalize equally, the majority of species studied so far exhibit some form of songs, calls or non-vocal sounds for communication. There is still more to learn about their regional and species-specific vocal abilities.
What do hummingbird sounds mean?
Hummingbird vocalizations can communicate surprisingly specific information when you learn to interpret them. Here are some meanings behind common hummingbird sounds:
Dawn song
A long, complex male solo song at dawn advertises a male’s fitness and proclaims territory ownership.
Feeding call
Short, repeated chips given mid-flight by males may indicate they are bringing food to female partners.
Begging call
Loud, rhythmic peeps from nestlings tell parent birds they are hungry and request feeding.
Alarm call
Rapid chips or cheeps identify a threat, signaling humans or predators to move away.
Competitor song
A male song sung directly at another male hummer is a competitive vocal duel used to claim territory.
Copulation call
A combination of chirps and twitters made before and during mating, possibly to synchronize or signal receptivity.
Nest departure call
A soft series of squeaky notes as a female leaves or returns to the nest, possibly to update her mate.
So while we can’t perfectly translate hummingbird language, diligent observations of context help infer specific meanings behind different sounds.
How do hummingbird songs & calls sound?
To our human ears, hummingbird vocalizations sound like:
– High-pitched squeaks
– Metallic chips or tiks
– Buzzing
– Whistles
– Chirps
– Scolding twitters
– Short melodic notes
– Repeated series of squeals or peeps
– Piercing shrieks
– Mechanical chirps and pops (with tail feathers)
– Clicking bills
Here are a few examples:
– Black-chinned Hummingbird song:
– Anna’s Hummingbird chirps:
– Calliope Hummingbird ticks:
The rapid tempo, short duration and high frequencies of most hummingbird vocalizations make them hard for humans to interpret. But slowed down and amplified, we can appreciate the complexity of some hummingbird songs.
How do scientists study hummingbird sounds?
Ornithologists studying hummingbird vocals use:
Field recordings
Making digital recordings of wild hummingbirds during different seasons, behaviors and life stages.
Sound analysis software
Specialized programs visualize sonograms – graphical representations of sound frequencies and amplitudes over time. They help measure variations between species or contexts.
Playback experiments
Playing recorded hummingbird sounds to observe behavioral responses, such as a male reacting aggressively to a perceived competitor’s song.
Lab experiments
Captive hummingbirds may be recorded in controlled settings to more precisely link vocalizations to behaviors.
Statistical analysis
Applying statistical methods to quantify differences in vocal rate, length, frequency and patterns across circumstances.
Taxonomic classification
Comparing vocalizations to identify new hummingbird species or clarify taxonomic classifications, like how hummingbird calls differ from swifts.
Continued research on hummingbird vocals will provide greater insights into the communication patterns, behavioral ecology and evolution of these vocal creatures. Careful study of their songs, calls and sounds reveals the surprisingly complex social relationships of hummingbirds.
Conclusion
While known for their speed, agility and appetite for nectar, hummingbirds also have an intricate vocal communication system. Through unique songs, calls and mechanical sounds, hummingbirds signal their readiness to breed, defend territories, interact with mates and offspring, and contend with rivals. Male vocal virtuosity captures all the attention during competitive breeding rituals. But female hummingbird sounds also play crucial roles. There is still more to discover about hummingbird vocals, from regional dialects to the songs of newly discovered species. But it’s clear these energetic, diminutive birds have far more to say than just an alluring hum.
