Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!decwrl!orc!oliveb!oliven!mjm
From: mjm@oliven.olivetti.com (Michael Mammoser)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: News From Northern Virginia
Message-ID: <63173@oliveb.atc.olivetti.com>
Date: 31 Jul 90 17:39:47 GMT
References: <35577@vrdxhq.verdix.com> <62571@oliveb.atc.olivetti.com> <36065@vrdxhq.verdix.com>
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In article <36065@vrdxhq.verdix.com>, edm@vrdxhq.verdix.com (Ed Matthews) writes:
> I'm not sure how one documents such an act, but I'm satisfied that it was an
> act of copulation.  
> 
> Here's what I saw:  The male and female, both facing me, were
> buzzing over the salvia when the male moved over the female from the left
> and slightly behind.  The male was riding lightly on the female, both
> beating their wings.  They stayed like this, moving slightly to and fro for
> perhaps two to three seconds.  I didn't conclude that this was an act of
> aggression.  When these guys want to be aggressive, they go in beak first.
> They flew off into the trees afterwards.

	Here are some references that I found on the subject:

THE BIRDER'S HANDBOOK

	"If copulation is observed in the field, the habitat, time
of day, position used, duration, and any associated behavior should
be recorded."

	"Onithologists think all swifts are aerial maters. In fact,
they assume that swifts are the only birds that do so on the wing.
But they cannot be certain of either point... That's why the
authoritative Dictionary of Birds says, 'swifts are apparently unique
in copulating in the air.' "

	This passage states the point that I made originally and
introduces the uncertainty that would make an observation of its
occurance in another family of some interest. Then:

HUMMINGBIRDS, THEIR LIFE AND BEHAVIOR

	"Nonetheless, copulation probably takes three to five seconds
and occurs with the male mounting the back of the perched female..."

	This was a statement about hummingbirds in general, and seems
to indicate a lack of mid air mating. However...

LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN HUMMINGBIRDS

	"When first observed, the birds were playfully chasing each
other about and suddenly swooped down to within about eighteen inches
of the ground where the leading bird, which proved to be the female,
stopped and faced about. The male approached and the mating was
consummated in the air, the birds breast to breast and with the male
somewhat under the female."

	This observation was made by Leroy Arnold in 1930 of a pair
of Anna's Hummingbirds. Has it since been discredited? But...

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS

	"...copulation may be in the air, reported of a pair of
Rufous Hummingbirds in flight and of a pair of Anna's Hummingbirds..."

	Is the reference to Anna's Hummingbirds the same as the one
above? Perhaps. It seems that there is some evidence of aerial
copulation in birds other than swifts (at least in hummingbirds).
But it also seems that it is darn infrequent, as evidenced by the
fact that there are only two references in the encyclopedia. Additional
observations of aerial mating in hummingbirds may be of great interest
to the ornithological community.

Mike