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Some Hummingbirds Perch in the Open

Hummingbirds will sit still long enough for you to watch them closely -- if you know where to look
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© Mike Hamilton

Male hummingbirds — like the Anna's Hummingbird seen here — keep a watchful eye on their territory and will often perch atop a high, bare twig in order to fully view their surroundings. From here, the male hummer will launch himself into the air to perform courtship displays, to chase off rivals, and to snatch small flying insects.

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BirdNote®

Some Hummingbirds Perch in the Open

Written by Bob Sundstrom

This is BirdNote.
A flash and hover at the nectar feeder. A buzz and squeak and a headlong chase as one hummingbird sends another packing from its closely guarded sweet treasure.
[Rufous Hummingbird sounds, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/73025891 starting at :30]
Hummingbirds always seem to move so quickly. Do they ever pause in the open, where we can watch them for a few moments?
In fact, they do. Many male hummingbirds keep a watchful eye on their territory when they are actively courting or keeping guard over a female. The male perches atop a shrub, often on a long, bare twig, where he can fully take in his surroundings.
[Anna's Hummingbird chips notes, https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/85445931]
Other males straying into this protected space risk a relentless aerial attack. The male hummer will also launch himself from his perch in a courtship display and to snatch small flying insects, an important part of a hummingbird’s diet.
As the ever-vigilant male looks back and forth across his domain, there's a good chance his iridescent throat will catch the light just right, sending out a radiant flash of red or purple.
[Anna's Hummingbird chips notes, https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=annhum&mediaType=a…, 0.03-.06]
This is the moment to train your binoculars on the hummer and enjoy that brilliant play of color. And though he's bound to fly off at any moment, with any luck he'll buzz right back to the same perch.
[Rufous Hummingbird sounds, https://search.macaulaylibrary.org/catalog?taxonCode=rufhum&mediaType=a…, 0.07-.09]
For BirdNote, I’m Michael Stein.
###
Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by
BirdNote’s theme music was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
Producer: John Kessler
Managing Producer: Jason Saul
Associate Producer: Ellen Blackstone
© 2018 Tune In to Nature.org   April 2018   Narrator: Michael Stein

ID#   hummingbird-10-2018-04-26    hummingbird-10             

Bob Sundstrom
Writer
Michael Stein
Narrator
Mike Hamilton
Photographer
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Tagsbreeding display hummingbird

Related Resources

Dive-Bombing Hummingbirds Let Their Feathers Do the TalkingTime-lapse photo of Anna's Hummingbird courtship dive

More About These Birds

Anna's Hummingbird (Calypte anna)

Calypte anna

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus)

Selasphorus rufus

Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)

Archilochus colubris

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Birds connect us with the joy and wonder of nature. By telling vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face, BirdNote inspires listeners to care about the natural world – and take steps to protect it.

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