How do hummingbird courtship displays work?

Hummingbird courtship displays are primarily aerial and serve as a vital communication system to attract mates and establish reproductive readiness. Because many species do not form long-term pair bonds, these displays are often elaborate and highly ritualized.123

Key features of these displays include:

• Aerial Maneuvers: Males often perform spectacular flight patterns, including swoops, dashes, and sudden stops and starts. During these displays, males may dive at high speeds—sometimes reaching 88.5–96.5 km per hour (55–60 miles per hour)—to capture a female's attention.124
• Visual Signaling: Males frequently hover in front of females, positioning themselves so that sunlight reflects off their iridescent gorgets (throat patches) to highlight their brilliant colors.1
• Auditory Production: While many hummingbirds produce squeaky or twittering songs, their display flights often generate humming, hissing, or popping sounds. These noises are frequently created by the movement of specialized tail feathers through the air, functioning similarly to the songs of other bird species.15
• Lekking: In some tropical species, males gather in communal display areas known as leks, where they perform for visiting females.62

In most species, the male defends a territory where these displays occur, though territoriality is absent in some hummingbirds.12