Dive-bombing hummingbirds add a twist to impress mates

In most North American hummingbirds, males court females by diving at them head on — but Costa’s hummingbirds (Calypte costae) perform their courtship dives off to the side. Researchers now find that this strategy allows the males to aim sounds at potential mates as if they were using a megaphone.

During high-speed courtship dives, males fan their tails at the last second to create a high-pitched chirp. The faster the dive, the more those tail feathers vibrate and the higher the pitch created by the would-be Romeos. Researchers suspect that females prefer higher-pitched dives, which results in various strategies to boost the frequency of the noise a male makes.

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The hovering technique of a hummingbird is one of the most mesmerizing sights to witness. Take a look at what exactly takes place mid-flight and how they're able to move with such control.

Male Anna's hummingbirds zoom down at 50 miles per hour from high in the air in a dive display to woo females. At the bottom of their dive there's a loud chirp. The sound comes from their tail feathers, not their throats.

A Diving Hummingbird and His Loud Chirp.

Hummingbirds sing with their tail feathers.

Hummingbirds - chirping their song