This is the second time I have seen this happening on my back deck. The first time, my niece captured it on her phone & I am too embarrassed to ask for that footage to post here. This time, I captured it on my camera through a glass door so I apologize that the images are not of the quality I would like. This is a courtship ritual of two Anna’s hummingbirds. The bird on the right is the male. He puffs out his neck feathers to impress this female. I assume she sticks out her wing to say “I’m watching…” but she could also be getting ready to try to escape this situation!
This lasted a few minutes, which seems like a lifetime in hummingbird terms!
It ends with either an act of love or sexual assault, not sure which!
They flew off semi-attached so I am not sure which of those two outcomes occurred or how long it takes for hummingbirds to have sex. I assume like everything they do it is a pretty quick process. I hope nobody finds this offensive, I had to share this!
I knew hummingbirds were strong flyers but… damn.
I’m surprised they did that wide open like that. That seems like it invites predators, but maybe it’s supposed to signal genetic fitness by being tough enough to get away with it.
They OWN that deck. Other much larger birds land on the deck and they come out and chase them away. I think they believe they have no predators. They even hover in my face and try to chase me off the deck!
Love Shack indeed.
Birbs! Hopefully making more birbs!
I don’t have Anna’s hummingbirds here (supposedly extremely rarely they’ve been spotted in Missouri, but I have my doubts. Regardless, the ruby throated hummers I get are quite fierce and I suspect a female would be like GTFO if she preferred a different male.