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Clip: Season 41 Episode 10 | 2m 32s | Video has closed captioning.
During mating season, long-billed hermit males gather in groups for a talent contest called a “lek.” From a perch, one male begins a courtship ritual that starts with a series of chirps. Other males join in and soon a chorus fills the forest. A whole song is squeezed into one chirp.
Aired: 04/12/23
- [Narrator] Every season, these little forest architects have to win over a new mate, and that means putting on a show.
(birds chirping) A long-billed hermit is warming up for a performance.
He's looking for a mate, and to find one, hummingbird males gather in groups for a sort of talent contest called a 'lek'.
(birds chirping) From his perch, he begins a courtship ritual that starts with a series of chirps.
(birds chirping) Other males join in.
(birds chirping) Soon, a chorus fills the forest.
(birds chirping) We don't tend to think of hummingbirds as songbirds.
They seem to simply squeak, but slow it down and there's more than meets the ear.
(birds chirping) It turns out hummingbirds do everything at warp speed.
They even squeeze a whole song into a chirp.
(birds chirping) The neighbors are taking notice, including a female who sizes up the suitors.
Unlike many hummingbirds, a female long-billed hermit's coloring is almost identical to the males.
To set themselves apart, the guys need to dial up the performance.
In a kind of dance, he pumps his tail feathers, hoping to catch her eye.
The female is intrigued.
One final inspection and she makes her choice.
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