Hummingbirds are known for their incredibly fast wing beats, ability to hover mid-air, and long slender bills adapted for reaching nectar in flowers. Their small size and dazzling, iridescent plumage make them one of the most beloved backyard birds.
Quick Answer
The answer is yes, some male hummingbirds do have white tips on their tails. The white tips are present on males of particular hummingbird species, such as Anna’s hummingbird, Costa’s hummingbird, Allen’s hummingbird, and others. The white tail tips are one of the distinguishing features between males and females of these species.
Do All Male Hummingbirds Have White Tipped Tails?
No, not all male hummingbirds have white tips on their tails. There are over 300 different species of hummingbirds in the world, and the white tail tips are only present on males of certain species.
Some examples of common North American hummingbird species in which the males have white tail tips include:
- Anna’s hummingbird (Calypte anna)
- Costa’s hummingbird (Calypte costae)
- Allen’s hummingbird (Selasphorus sasin)
- Broad-tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)
In contrast, males of other widespread hummingbird species like ruby-throated hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), black-chinned hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri), rufous hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus), and calliope hummingbird (Selasphorus calliope) do not have white-tipped tails.
Purpose of the White Tail Tips
The white tail tips serve an important purpose – they are used to signal and display to other hummingbirds. Male hummingbirds are highly territorial and use their tail patterns to communicate dominance and defend their feeding territories.
When a male with a white-tipped tail is defending his territory, he may fan and flash his tail in quick motions to signal to intruders that this is his turf. The bright white tips make the tails even more prominent and eye-catching during these displays.
Difference Between Males and Females
The presence of white tail tips is one of the key physical differences between male and female hummingbirds of certain species. While the males have white tips, the females’ tail feathers are solid and lack any white:
Species | Male | Female |
---|---|---|
Anna’s hummingbird | Grayish-green back, rose-pink throat, dark tail with white tips | Green back, light gray throat, all-dark tail |
Allen’s hummingbird | Green back, orange throat, rufous tail with white tips | Green back, pale orange throat, all rufous tail |
Costa’s hummingbird | Green back, violet throat, forked tail with white tips | Green back, pale gray throat, forked all-dark tail |
This physical difference stems from differences in genetics and reproductive biology between the sexes. The white-tipped tail is an example of sexual dimorphism, where males and females of the same species display distinct physical characteristics.
Geographic Range of White-tipped Species
The hummingbird species that display the white-tipped tail characteristic are primarily found in western North America:
- Anna’s hummingbird – western US states and southwest Canada
- Allen’s hummingbird – coastal California
- Costa’s hummingbird – southwest US and northwest Mexico
This is linked to the evolutionary history and diversity of hummingbirds in North America, which shows distinct differences between eastern and western species. The western US has a greater number of native hummingbird species which display more variation in plumage and adaptations like the tail tips.
Blue-tailed Hummingbirds
While white tail tips are seen in some western hummingbirds, other species have males with blue or purple tips on the tail feathers. For example, the broad-tailed hummingbird and magnificent hummingbird of the western US have males with dark bodies and distinctively bluish-hued forked tail feathers.
Like the white tips, the coloration serves to differentiate males from the less boldly patterned females. The blue-tailed species use their flashy tail plumage in courtship displays to attract females.
Eastern Hummingbirds Don’t Have Tail Tips
In contrast to the western species, hummingbirds native to eastern North America like ruby-throated hummingbird, black-chinned hummingbird, and rufous hummingbird, do not have pronounced tail markings in either male or female. Both sexes have similarly colored green, gray, or rusty reddish tails.
The evolutionary reason behind the lack of elaborate tail plumage in eastern species is not entirely clear. It may be related to differences in courtship behavior and displays between western and eastern groups of hummingbirds.
Juvenile Hummingbirds Lack Tail Tips
While adult males develop thewhite tail tips, juvenile males lack these markings when they first fledge. Young hummingbirds have drab plumage overall, with their male-specific coloration only emerging after their first molt into adult feathers.
So only mature adult males gain the full suite of colors and sexual dimorphism like the tail tips that mark them as breeding individuals.
Color Can Fade After Molting
The bright white tail markings in males are produced by specialized feather structure that reflects light. But these small white tips can erode and fade over time between molts.
By late summer, some actively breeding males may appear to have little or no white left if the tips have worn down after months of normal activity. But the tips will return to their peak whiteness after the hummingbird undergoes its annual molt in late summer and grows fresh tail feathers.
Why Female Hummingbirds Don’t Have White Tips
As discussed above, the difference in tail plumage between male and female hummingbirds relates to breeding biology and behavior. Several evolutionary hypotheses help explain why the elaborate tail markings are limited to males:
- Territory defense – males with flashy tails are better able to signal ownership and dominance when defending feeding grounds
- Mate attraction – bright white tail tips help attract females’ attention during courtship displays
- Energy conservation – small tail markings may incur relatively high metabolic costs, so females conserve resources
Females do not engage in these energetically expensive displays, instead focusing energy on nesting and raising young. So over time, natural selection has acted to limit showy tail tips to just males of certain hummingbird species.
Exceptions Among Females
While female hummingbirds do not normally have white-tipped tails, rare exceptions can occur in unusual cases:
- Albino or partial albino individuals of either sex may show white markings due to lack of normal pigments
- Injury or wear could potentially produce pale areas on tail feathers
- Genetic mutations – a female hummingbird with a developmental genetic mutation could potentially display male plumage traits like tail tips
There are anecdotal reports of abnormal female Anna’s, Allen’s, or other hummingbirds with white tail tips. But these remain exceedingly rare and do not represent the normal appearance of females.
Conclusion
In summary, male hummingbirds of certain western North American species add white tips to their tail feathers. This trait is displayed in species like Anna’s hummingbird, Allen’s hummingbird, Costa’s hummingbird, and broad-tailed hummingbird. The white tips are absent in females, serving as one distinguishing characteristic between the sexes.
The white tail tips play a role in breeding displays and communication. Males use their flashy tails to signal their dominance when defending feeding territories or to attract female attention when courting. This has led to the evolution of the white-tipped tails exclusively in males of those hummingbird species.