Subject: Hummingbird Lek
Date: Jan 12 16:58:46 2004
From: Ruth Sullivan - godwit at worldnet.att.net


Greetings Jack,
Thank you for clearing this subject up!!!!!

Cheers Ruth Sullivan
Tacoma
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jack Bowling" <jbinpg at shaw.ca>
To: "Kathy Andrich" <chukarbird at yahoo.com>
Cc: <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: Hummingbird Lek


> On Fri, Jan 09, 2004 at 09:36:41AM -0800, Kathy Andrich wrote:
> > Hi Mike and Tweeters,
> >
> > What is a hummingbird lek? I have heard of grouse
> > lek's but not hummingbird ones. I assume a lot of
> > male birds are involved and the female chooses from
> > the bunch. [snip]
>
> I don't think the female has much "choice" in the matter of selecting
> a mate. After many years of watching hummers, it appears that the
> process goes something like this for Rufous hummers:
>
> - male does "tail waggle" in front of female who is usually perched
> low in a bush.
> - female goes into some kind of trance watching male.
> - when female seems sufficiently stupified, male rushes in and mounts
> her.
>
> The whole mounting process takes no more than 1 or 2 seconds if that.
> I think the selection process taking place at the "leks" is one of a
> battle between prospective successful males only rather than the
> female choosing a mate.
>
> I have also witnessed this with Costs's Hummingbirds in Arizona.
>
> --
> Jack Bowling Prince George, BC mailto: jbinpg at shaw.ca
>