How Do Hummingirds Mate?
If you're curious how birds mate, then this article will give you all the facts.
Birds are well-known for their incredible and ornate mating displays and rituals, ranging from the careful planning and insane plumage of the male Lyrebird to the aerobatic feats of various male hummingbirds and the bizarre rituals of various Birds-of-paradise.
Whilst much discussion around bird reproduction revolves around mating displays, it’s also important to consider the question of how do birds actually mate?
When birds are ready to mate, both males and females look for the best possible partners. Sometimes, the best viewing point is while on top of a beautiful bird feeder. After finding a suitable mate, the mating act is surprisingly quick. Most male birds don’t have penises; rather, both male and female birds have what’s known as a cloaca.
Most birds do not have the same reproductive body parts as mammals. Instead, both male and female birds have a cloaca. This opening (also called the vent) serves as the bodily exit for their digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.
This means the same opening that excretes feces and urine is the opening from which eggs are laid. During the breeding season, the cloaca swells and may protrude slightly outside the body, while during the rest of the year it is much less prominent and not typically visible.
During mating seasons, the cloacal openings of both male and female birds swell, protruding slightly outside their bodies. When birds are feeling frisky, they rub their swollen cloacas together.
The male's sperm, which has been stored in his cloaca, is deposited into the female's cloaca, where it travels up the chamber and eventually fertilizes an egg.
Usually, the male perches on top of the female, who moves her tail feathers to the side to expose her cloaca. Arching back, the male rubs his cloaca against hers.
Many birders don’t recognize the mating behavior of birds right away. However, there are certain mating postures that the male and female birds follow. The male birds follow a typical posture that is to balance on the female’s back, both facing the same direction.
To make access easier for the male bird, the female may bow, crouch, hunch, or even lay on the ground, after which the male hunch or arch in order to touch his cloaca to hers.
This delicate balancing act can often take several attempts before resulting in successful copulation. Perhaps for fun — or to increase the chance of insemination — birds often mate many times throughout the course of their mating period.
Not only do mating displays tickle the senses, attracting females to those males that go the extra mile to impress, but they also secure the fitness of future generations who will also then become increasingly adept at the art of reproduction.
If you see mating birds, it is best to keep your distance, as approaching more closely may spook the birds and force them to leave, which can interrupt their courtship or hurt their pair bond. This may also cause difficulties for raising a brood or completing a successful mating if the pair splits prematurely.
If they are severely disturbed, the birds may leave their carefully chosen territory to relocate to a less suitable area that may not provide for all their hatchlings' food, shelter, and other survival needs.
And now you know how birds mate :)
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