Male hummingbirds have striking, colorful plumage that distinguishes them from female hummingbirds. The vibrant colors and patterns are intended to attract females and warn off rival males. While the specifics vary by species, male hummingbirds generally have bright throats, crowns, tails, and wing markings.
Plumage Colors
Many male hummingbirds have throats and crowns that are iridescent, meaning they shine and appear to change color when viewed from different angles. This iridescence is produced by specialized feather structures that reflect light. Common iridescent colors include emerald, ruby, sapphire, amethyst, and turquoise. The Anna’s hummingbird, native to western North America, has a rose-pink crown and gorget (throat). The ruby-throated hummingbird, found in eastern North America, has a dazzling scarlet throat.
Gorgets
The colorful throats of male hummingbirds are called gorgets. The gorget is one of the most conspicuous ways to identify the sex of a hummingbird. Male gorgets are vibrantly colored and conspicuously placed. Female gorgets tend to be less prominent, often speckled or lightly marked. The shape, size, and color pattern of the gorget are defining characteristics for many hummingbird species. For example:
- The magnificent hummingbird has a wide, tapering blue-and-purple gorget.
- The buff-bellied hummingbird has a bright yellow-green gorget bordered by a black base and white tip.
- The berylline hummingbird has a bold reddish-purple gorget bordered by white behind the head.
The striking gorgets help attract females and communicate species identity among males. Males will aggressively defend territory and mates, chasing off intruders. The vivid gorget serves as a visual display during conflicts.
Crowns and Crests
In addition to their gorgets, many male hummingbirds have colorful crowns or crests on top of their heads. For example:
- The violet-crowned hummingbird has a flashy purple crown.
- The magenta-throated woodstar has a rose-pink crown matching its gorget.
- The horned sungem has elegant head plumes that resemble horns.
- The white-vented plumeleteer has a bold red-orange crown and a distinctive white forehead patch.
As with gorgets, the colors and patterns of crowns help identify species and attract mates. Crown features tend to be especially pronounced in hummingbirds that live in dense, dark forests, where visibility is limited. Bright crowns provide visual contrast against dark backgrounds.
Tail Ornaments
Many male hummingbirds have decorative tail feathers extending beyond their main tail. These elongated plumes serve as ornaments to attract females. Dramatic examples include:
- The scissor-tailed hummingbird has two extra-long outer tail feathers that cross like scissors.
- The red-billed streamertail has curving tail streamers twice the body length.
- The marvelous spatuletail has racquet-shaped tail feathers ending in wide, blue-green discs.
In addition to attracting mates, some scientists theorize that long tail plumes enhance maneuverability and aerial courtship displays. The streamers may also intimidate rivals. Studies suggest the energy cost of growing and carrying elaborate tail feathers demonstrates a male’s fitness to females.
Iridescent Feathers
Male hummingbirds produce iridescent plumage through specialized feather structures. Their feathers contain nanoscale air bubbles and melanin granules that interfere with light waves to generate flashing color effects. The resulting iridescent feathers change hue based on the viewing angle. Even small movements alter the colors reflected. This makes the plumage seem to glimmer and shift in the light.
To achieve iridescence, hummingbirds have evolved two unique adaptations:
- Flattened air bubbles – The feathers have flattened, pancake-shaped air bubbles. As light passes through, the air bubble morphology enhances interference effects that produce iridescence.
- Plate-like melanin granules – Melanin is arranged into pancake-shaped platelets in iridescent feathers. These sheets strengthen constructive interference to boost colored reflections.
By structuring air and melanin into precise flat shapes, male hummingbirds maximize iridescent display for mating success.
Species Variation
There are over 300 hummingbird species, so plumage characteristics vary widely. Some notable examples of male-specific color patterns include:
| Species | Location | Male Plumage Features |
|---|---|---|
| Anna’s hummingbird | Western North America | Iridescent rose-pink crown and gorget |
| Ruby-throated hummingbird | Eastern North America | Bright scarlet gorget |
| Costa’s hummingbird | Southwestern North America | Violet crown, green throat with violet center spot |
| Rufous hummingbird | Pacific Northwest | Distinctive rufous (reddish) plumage on throat, flanks, and tail |
| Mangrove hummingbird | Costa Rica and Panama | Long forked tail, violet crown, green gorget |
Even within a species, geographic populations may vary significantly in plumage characteristics. For example, Allen’s hummingbird males along the Pacific Coast have bright orange-red throats, while those in the Rocky Mountains have dark metallic green throats.
Juvenile Plumage
Young male hummingbirds tend to resemble adult females in their first year before acquiring full adult plumage. For example, juvenile male ruby-throated hummingbirds lack the bright red gorget. Their first-year plumage is similar to females with a light-colored throat and white speckles along the body. By their second year, they grow in the males’ distinctive scarlet throats and black and white patterns.
In most species, it takes one to two years for young males to molt into their species-specific nuptial (breeding) plumage. Molting into vibrant mature colors signals male maturity and readiness for courtship and reproduction.
Conclusion
Male hummingbirds display a dazzling array of colorful feathers specialized to attract mates. Signature plumage features include iridescent gorgets, luminous crowns, elongated tail plumes, and vibrant throat patches. Structural modifications of feathers produce iridescent colors that flash and change with viewing angle. The varied color patterns help differentiate species and signal fitness for breeding. Next time you spot a hummingbird at a feeder, look closely to see if you can identify it as male or female by its plumage alone.
