Excellent response, Alvaro.

Originally I said:

> I put
>'pairs' in (parantheses) because I NEVER see any males of these two species
>out on the Point -- no courtship, copulation, nothing. Why??? and where
are
>they??? Perhaps they just do the 'dirty deed' elsewhere, then scram.

to which Alvaro Jaramillo replied:

> I don't think that any hummingbird that has been studied has been found to
>be monogamous or even to form pair bonds. Males mate with females, that is
>their only investment in the brood.

I should have just left the "(pair)" part out of the original message to
avoid confusion. On the other hand, I think I'm glad I put it in, otherwise
it might not have sparked the interesting reply from Alvaro. What I was
trying to convey, though poorly worded, was that in the PB situation, I was
expressing wonder in the fact that I have never seen a male (adult male) of
either species, Anna's or Allen's, *ever*, ...even just passing through or
cruising around out on the Point. I have never been anywhere where I have
not seen mixed sexes where these and other species forage, feed, and nest.
Those cases are over a much broader spectrum and range of habitat like
woodlands, mountains, tropics, etc. I was just noting, and surprised to
note, that the sexes actually segregated like they seem to do out on the
small, isolated, and exposed Point at Piedras Blancas. There isn't much
suitable or dissimilar habitat for several miles that might hold a male
territorially guarding a favorite patch of flowers. Most of the male Anna's
and Allen's I've seen down there are more on the broken wooded hillsides and
along streams at San Simeon, SS State Park, and along Pico Creek, some 3+
miles away. Up there around the Hearst Castle, I suppose would be worth a
look, but still have never been there yet, even though it's right across the
road, but I guess most people don't go there to look at the birds.

Alvaro again:

>male hummers defend
>a resource such as a patch of flowers and attract females to them in that
>way (resource defence polygyny). In some cases the male will not give the
>female access to the flowers unless she mates with him (prostitution
>polygyny). The high level of polygamy and general promiscuity of
>hummingbirds likely accounts for the large number of reported hybrids in the
>group, similar to the duck situation.

So I guess for all those females out on the Point, they head for the hills.
You make it sound like a particular patch of flowers being defended by the
male is ...umm, well... almost like a 'brothel' but run by the males, and the
females are the 'customers', though likely not in the same sense as doing so
for express purpose of simple sexual gratification. ...Hearst Castle ...hmm,
they *have* to be there <g>. I'll go look. I don't know if what you say is
applicable to Anna's and Allen's, per se, but to some of the other
hummingbird species' in other places.

I am intrigued though, why so many females (as in 3-5) would choose to
utilize that hostile, cold, windy, and largely open habitat for nesting, when
it is much warmer and more protected a short distance inland, but still along
the coast. It's probably the flowers -- the grounds are carpeted with
iceplant, and an immense bloom of others, and perhaps my feeders contribute
some too. Yet, there still are never any males around setting up territories
and defending any of these places. If it's sun they like, to display, and
show off their glittering garb, (again, Hearst Castle!, of course! <g>), then
as little as 0.5-1.0 mile inland would be better and more often free of the
cold coastal clinging fog. Perhaps the reason for all the nesting females on
the Point lies in the fact that if there are no aggressive and defensive
males to compete with, it is easier for the females to gather food necessary
for the young. I'll get this all sorted out yet, in between the loons and
the whales.

Great post Alvaro, and thanks for my (our) edification.

Richard Rowlett <pagodroma at aol.com>
Bellevue, WA, USA