Synchronization of speed, sound and iridescent color in a hummingbird aerial courtship dive.

ABSTRACT: Many animal signals are complex, often combining multimodal components with dynamic motion. To understand the function and evolution of these displays, it is vital to appreciate their spatiotemporal organization. Male broad-tailed hummingbirds (Selasphorus platycercus) perform dramatic U-shaped courtship dives over females, appearing to combine rapid movement and dive-specific mechanical noises with visual signals from their iridescent gorgets. To understand how motion, sound and color interact in these spectacular displays, we obtained video and audio recordings of dives performed by wild hummingbirds. We then applied a multi-angle imaging technique to estimate how a female would perceive the male's iridescent gorget throughout the dive. We show that the key physical, acoustic and visual

SUBMITTER: Hogan BG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6299134 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature