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Nature In The Natural State: Hummingbird Courtship

This month, we are sharing our own personal experiences in nature.

I witnessed the following in April. A female hummingbird perched on the small feeder above my deck. Suddenly a male sporting his glittering ruby gorget or throat swooped in and hovered in front of her. Instead of chasing him away, she remained motionless. He began to make U-shaped dives in front of her, flying down then up, in a wide arc at top speed.

Afterward, he hovered in front of her, moving in a level plane from side to side about a foot each way, while extending his wings. She sat motionless all the while through this courtship display. And then--they flew away together. To attract hummingbirds to your yard, add cardinal flowers.