Hummingbirds go through elaborate courtship rituals before mating. The male will perform aerial displays, flying in loop-de-loops and diving steeply to impress the female. If she seems interested, he will continue displaying and feeding her nectar as part of the courtship. Once they mate, the male plays no role in building the nest or raising the young.
What do male hummingbirds do to attract females?
Male hummingbirds have to go through elaborate courtship displays to attract the attention of females. Some of the things they do include:
- Aerial displays – The male will fly in loop-de-loops, dive from great heights, and fly in rapid zig-zags to show off his flying skills.
- Perched displays – From a perch, the male will fan out his tail feathers and spread his wings while singing a high-pitched song.
- Dive displays – The male makes a steep, fast dive toward the female before pulling up at the last second.
- Swooping displays – The male will swoop back and forth in front of the female in rapid, graceful arcs.
- Nectar feeding – The male will feed the female nectar mid-flight to show he can provide for her.
These acrobatic displays demonstrate the male’s athleticism, health, vibrancy and skill – traits that would help assure the female that he is a fit and capable mate. The displays also help the male differentiate himself from competing males that may be nearby.
What behaviors do hummingbirds exhibit during the mating process?
Once a female hummingbird has been attracted by the male’s courtship display, the actual mating process begins. Here are some of the behaviors exhibited:
- The male and female perch close together, often with the male hovering right in front of the female.
- The male will continue showing off with diving displays and aerial maneuvers.
- The female will give a signal she is ready to mate by assuming a breeding posture – her tail is lowered and her wings are drooped.
- The male mounts the female and inserts his cloaca against hers. Cloacas are external openings birds use for mating as well as excretion.
- The mating is very brief – just a few seconds. Fertilization happens internally when the male passes his sperm into the female’s cloaca.
- The mating ritual may be repeated multiple times as the female stores the sperm internally and can use it to fertilize eggs over the course of days or weeks.
Interestingly, hummingbirds are promiscuous – one male may mate with multiple females in a season, and vice versa. The brief mating encounters make it challenging for a male to prevent a female from also mating with competitors.
How does the female hummingbird behave after mating occurs?
After mating is complete, the male and female hummingbirds go their separate ways. The female has the sole responsibility of building a nest, laying and incubating the eggs, and raising the chicks. Here are some of her post-mating behaviors:
- Nest building – Using soft plant down and spider silk, she constructs a tiny cup-shaped nest to hold the eggs.
- Egg laying – She lays two pea-sized eggs, usually on consecutive days. The eggs are white and smooth.
- Incubation – She incubates the eggs for about two weeks before they hatch.
- Care of young – She feeds the chicks regurgitated nectar and insects and protects them for about 3 weeks until fledging.
The female dedicates significant time and energy after mating to ensure the survival of the next generation. Her small clutch size of just two eggs requires her complete devotion for those chick’s development.
How does the male hummingbird behave after mating?
In contrast to the female’s intensive parental duties, the male hummingbird provides no care or support for the young once mating is done. Some specific male post-mating behaviors include:
- Departure – After copulation, the male leaves the female and does not participate in nest building, incubating eggs, or raising hatchlings.
- Seeking additional mates – The male may attempt to find and attract other females to mate with during a single breeding season.
- Territorial displays – The male continues establishing feeding territories through aerial displays.
- Molting – Males lose their bright plumage after mating and go into a postnuptial molt before regaining color in the fall.
Essentially, the male’s key biological role is passing on his genes through mating. He does not need to stick around and ensure the survival of his offspring. By mating with multiple females, he can increase his genetic representation in each clutch.
How does mating impact the health and survival of hummingbirds?
For both male and female hummingbirds, successful mating improves the chances of their genes being passed on. Specifically:
- Females with multiple mates will have greater genetic diversity in their chicks, improving the odds some will survive.
- The spectacular mating displays keep the species vigorous by ensuring only the fittest males mate.
- The bursts of energy from courtship and mating prime their bodies for migration.
However, mating does expend a lot of energy. Hummingbirds have been known to lose 10% of their body mass during the breeding season due to their intense mating activities.
Females also put themselves at higher risk of predation when building an exposed nest. And the significant effort of laying eggs, incubating, and rearing young take an additional toll.
But overall, the continuation of the species depends on mating being an energetic and competitive endeavor. Hummingbirds are hardwired to participate in these elaborate rituals that shape their health and survival.
How does the mating season affect hummingbird behavior?
The mating season, which aligns with spring and summer, brings about many key behavioral changes in hummingbirds:
- Territoriality – Males become extremely territorial and aggressive as they try to attract females.
- Vocalizations – Males sing elaborate courtship songs to impress females.
- Showy displays – Males perform dramatic aerial shows for hours each day.
- Fighting – Males will dive bomb and physically attack competitor males in disputes over territories and females.
- Nesting – Females become fixated on gathering materials and constructing their small nests.
These behaviors are directly linked to mating and replace the hummingbirds’ non-breeding behaviors like nectar feeding, preening, and insect catching. For both males and females, mating season is when they are most active, aggressive, and energetic as they strive to breed.
How does the male hummingbird know the female is ready to mate?
Male hummingbirds can recognize visual and behavioral signals from females indicating mating readiness. Signals females give when ready to mate include:
- Assuming the breeding posture – Lowering tail and drooping wings to facilitate cloacal contact.
- Perching very close to the displaying male and allowing him to approach.
- Being unreceptive to the displays of other males once one is chosen.
- Making a sharp squeaking call (a copulation call).
In response, the male will intensify his courtship rituals, continue feeding the female, and alight beside her for copulation when she gives the appropriate cues. His recognition of her signals facilitates their brief union to transfer sperm.
How does the female control the mating process?
The female hummingbird controls mating through the following behaviors:
- Watching displays of multiple males before choosing a mate – She exercises choice based on vigor of displays.
- Rejecting mates by flying away or attacking an undesirable suitor.
- Initiating mating by assuming the breeding posture when she is ready.
- Ending copulation after just a few seconds by breaking the cloacal contact.
- Mating with multiple males to maximize genetic diversity.
The female is in full control over the initiation, duration, and frequency of mating. This ensures only the fittest males have a chance to breed and she can gather the best DNA. Her discernment is vital for the fitness of the next generation.
Do mated pairs stay together?
No, hummingbird mates almost never stay together after mating. A few reasons they separate:
- Promiscuity – Both males and females will mate with multiple partners in a season.
- No male parental care – Males do not participate in nesting or raising young.
- Solitary living – Hummingbirds are highly territorial and mostly solitary outside mating.
- Brief unions – Mating is very quick so there is no bonding or relationship formed.
The sole purpose of mating is reproduction. Once that is achieved and the female is fertilized, the male’s participation is complete. Without any need for partnership in parental duties, they immediately part ways.
Do hummingbirds mate for life?
No, hummingbirds do not mate for life. They are polygamous and promiscuous, mating with multiple partners each season rather than settling down with a single mate. Here are some reasons why:
- No parental bonding – Since males do not raise young, lifelong partnerships do not form.
- Solitary nature – Hummingbirds are territorial and do not keep long-term company outside of mating.
- Brief courtships – Complex courtship rituals precede brief mating encounters rather than long-term bonding.
- Spreading genes – Mating with multiple partners improves gene diversity for both males and females.
Hummingbirds evolved to mate frequently and freely. Their main biological drive is passing on their genes, not pair bonding. They meet other objectives through solitary life and transient mating interactions.
How many times does a hummingbird mate in a season?
Hummingbirds mate frequently during the breeding season. While numbers vary by species, here are some averages:
- Males: 5-15 females per season
- Females: 2-5 males per season
- 1-3 clutches per female, with 2 eggs per clutch
So a single male may mate between 10 and 150 times in a season. For females, it ranges from 4 to 15 matings. This frequent mating improves the odds of fertilization and increases genetic diversity.
The high mating quantity is enabled by:
- Very brief copulation (a few seconds each)
- Promiscuous non-monogamous habits
- High energy and access to many partners
Hummingbirds have voracious sexual appetites during breeding season to ensure reproductive success.
Do hummingbirds ever mate with other species?
Hummingbirds do sometimes participate in interspecies mating, however it is quite rare. Some documented examples include:
- Rufous and Anna’s hummingbird hybrids – These occur along the Pacific coast where the species overlap.
- Buff-bellied and violet-crowned hummingbird hybrids – Documented in Texas where their ranges meet.
- Allen’s and rufous hybrid – One case observed in California.
In most interspecies mating cases, the female is larger than the male. The male likely mistakes her for a female of his own kind. However, these pairings are uncommon for a few key reasons:
- Different habitat ranges reduce interaction between most species.
- Subtle physical differences like size and plumage pattern.
- Variant courtship rituals confuse potential mates.
- Reproductive incompatibilities make fertilization unlikely.
While possible, the rarity of interspecies hummingbird matings reflects their tendency to identify and breed within their own kinds.
What happens if a hummingbird mating is unsuccessful?
If a mating attempt is unsuccessful, meaning no fertilization occurs, the hummingbirds will simply try again. Specifically:
- The female can mate with the same or different males until fertilized.
- An unsuccessful male will continue displays to attract other females.
- Both sexes retain the biological drive to mate until they breed.
With many mating opportunities each season, one failed mating does not threaten overall reproductive success. The dynamics of hummingbird courtship and multiple matings provide backups if fertilization does not occur instantly.
However, if environmental factors lead to chronic mating failure across a whole season, it can jeopardize population stability. Sustained reproductive success depends on most mating attempts eventually succeeding.
Conclusion
Hummingbirds engage in energetic, competitive, and frequent mating rituals each breeding season. Elaborate courtship displays by males help them attract female partners. Females ultimately control the mating, while males provide no parental care after copulation. They favor brief encounters with multiple mates rather than long-term pair bonding. Intense mating activities consume resources but help continue the species by producing new genetic combinations.
