Hummingbirds are among the most solitary birds in the world; they do not form lasting pair bonds or stay together as mates. The relationship between a male and female hummingbird is strictly transactional, limited to the brief period required for reproduction. This solitary nature influences their behavior across all aspects of their lives, from mating to migration.
The Brief Courtship and Mating Interaction
The only time a male and female hummingbird intentionally interact is for the purpose of mating. The male’s primary goal is to attract a female to his territory, which he often defends because it contains a rich food source. He performs elaborate aerial displays to demonstrate his fitness, which can include steep, high-speed dive-bombing maneuvers and impressive figure-eight patterns.
These courtship flights are physically demanding and designed to showcase agility and strength. If the female is impressed, she allows the male to approach for copulation. Mating itself is over in a matter of seconds, lasting only long enough for their cloacas to briefly touch and transfer sperm. Once the quick act is complete, the male immediately departs to seek out other females.
Solitary Parenting Roles
Following the brief mating encounter, the female takes on the entire responsibility of raising the next generation alone. The male plays no part in nest building, incubating the eggs, or feeding the young. This absence of paternal care is a common trait across all species of hummingbirds.
The female first constructs a tiny, cup-shaped nest, often no bigger than a walnut, using soft plant down, moss, and spider silk to bind the materials together. She typically lays a clutch of two small, white eggs, which she must incubate for about two weeks. Due to her incredibly high metabolism, she must leave the nest frequently—up to five or six times per hour—to forage for food.
Once the hatchlings emerge, the mother must switch to a high-demand routine of feeding them a protein-rich diet of small insects and spiders. She continues to feed them by regurgitation until they are ready to fledge, which takes approximately three weeks. The effort required for this solitary parenting means she must feed her young for about 45 days from nest construction to fledging.
Territoriality and Solitary Migration
Hummingbirds are highly aggressive and defend their resources fiercely, which is essential due to their solitary nature. Their extremely high metabolism requires them to feed constantly, sometimes every 10 to 15 minutes, necessitating a reliable food source. This physiological demand leads to intense territoriality, where a single bird actively defends a patch of flowers or a feeder from all other hummingbirds.
They engage in aerial battles, using speed and agility to chase away intruders with loud chittering sounds and dive-bombing attacks. This aggressive behavior is most pronounced when they establish feeding territories.
Regarding seasonal movement, most migratory hummingbird species travel alone. They do not form flocks or pairs for the journey. Each individual relies on its own instincts to navigate the long distances between their wintering and breeding grounds.