How do hummingbirds find mates?

Being able to fly more accurately than helicopters in the air, Hummingbird is one of the interesting creatures that many scientists care about. One of the topics of interest to this species is how they find their partners to maintain the breed.

According to Live Science, if you've ever seen documentaries about hummingbirds, you'll be extremely impressed with the ability to hang a hummingbird spot. While other birds are forced to flutter or fly around in order to keep the altitude in the air, hummingbirds only need to flap their wings to "stand" just like they are on a ground or tree branch. . An extremely impressive ability!

Because of the characteristic unlike any winged feather species on Earth, people wonder how this particular creature has sex life? Is it different from other birds? Some biologists have answers to these questions.

Hummingbirds in nature.

Unique bird species

Kristiina Hurme, a behavioral ecologist at the University of Connecticut (USA), said that contrary to the usual picture of each group of hummingbirds gathered around the flowers, we might think this is a bird with a community behavior. high outward orientation. In fact, in contrast, hummingbirds are introverted and territorial creatures. They can be very aggressive with those of the same species when the area is violated, whether male or female . "Hummingbirds aren't really friendly to anyone."

Hummingbird social relations stop at the stage of raising babies and finding partners. At that time they will "open up " a little with other hummingbirds. But hummingbirds have many different varieties depending on their habitat. Therefore, the breeding season and behavior of each variety are not quite the same. As noted by Alejandro Rico-Guevara, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist working at both the University of Connecticut and the University of California-Berkeley (USA), the hummingbird breeding season often follows the rainy season. Because it was the time when the flowers blossomed and followed the appearance of many insects. This is an ideal condition to supplement the protein needed for the molt process as well as spawn (which is high in calories). Of course it is also to have more food for the young.

And the screen for strange partners

Of course, before they can lay eggs, hummingbirds need to find a mate. Rico-Guevara said: "Each hummingbird breed has a special ritual for mating." With the hummingbird species, they often have a stage performance. In it, male hummingbirds will gather in a clear area, each taking a separate "stage" and start the "singing" stage to call on the female birds to find them.

Each hummingbird breed has a special ritual for mating.(Photo: JNB Photography.com).

This activity is almost the same as the human market - the female birds will "visit" each "stage" in turn to select the male. The sound that male birds sing seems simple to human ears. But when it is recorded and played slowly by computer, it is a complex of many different audio frequencies. Rico-Guevara commented: "Hummingbirds can not only fly at the speed of flapping their wings so fast, but they also listen to music at high speeds."

If a female bird chooses "yes" , what will the story be like? Firstly, it will park near the place where the male is "dotted", then "turn on the green light" so that the male will continue to play a more charming version. These operations may be creating strange sounds, circling around the children, flying in front of the children similar to human dances, or spitting out multicolored feathers and tails. .

Due to their own "stage" , the "audience" disputes between males are quite rare. But in the event of a collision, their long beak acts as sharp and sharp swords. Especially at the tip of the beak, there are some sharp tips that are similar to teeth. In these "swordfights" , male hummingbirds will attempt to stab and "bite" the opponent, shedding each other's feathers. This image is similar to medieval European knights who use long spears to stab each other, but take place in the sky.

However, it is unclear whether these fights cause significant damage to the male birds. Because these fights often take place quite quickly and the fighters often lose after collisions.

Some other hummingbirds do not use the "market" method. Instead, they "do business at home" and raise songs to entice the female bird to fly. In just a few rare cases when the competition is too dense, the male will actively fly to find the female and perform the show right along the road. But usually, females "go to the market" themselves but rarely "buy algae" along the way.

When all the "greeting" procedures are complete, the female will allow the male bird to climb on their backs.

With varieties that do not "market" , the performance is not very different. The selected male will try to show off the ability to fly in front of the female. One technique used by many males is to fly like a shuttle back and forth in front of their children, then proceed to gradually narrow the gap with their partner.

Another impressive performance is the "dive bomb" , a technique that only a few hummingbirds can do. Accordingly the male will fly higher than the female, then it suddenly dives down strongly. After descending to the lowest point of the dive, the male will spread out the tail set, allowing the wind to blow through the feathers and emit a special sound. This is one of the techniques that can "finish" the beautiful heart.

And finally, when all the " greeting " procedures are complete, the female will allow the male to climb on their backs. At this point, both animals will line up their breeding points. Males will push sperm through females so that fertilization begins. It is worth mentioning that this process only takes a few seconds, while the courtship process can take place all day or all week!