The sound effects of Anna’s hummingbirds, widespread along the West Coast, have been misunderstood, according to a new test.
Some of the males’ most dramatic noises aren’t vocalizations, as has been thought. Instead, the birds make noises by whipping their tails through the air.
Males, with iridescent, rose-colored throats and heads, perform aerial dives when courting a female or confronting another male.