All birds make some sorts of sounds, ranging from singing to croaking, but does this apply to hummingbirds as well?
Let’s take a closer look at their vocal skills and see what they mean!
What Kinds Of Sounds Do Hummingbirds Make?
Hummingbirds mostly make high-pitched calls. Go birding anywhere where hummingbirds occur, and you’ll probably hear various high-pitched, chipping, or ticking vocalizations. Most don’t sound much like other birds, either!
At first, you might mistake hummingbird calls for some kind of insect.
Their trilling calls and other vocalizations are confused with crickets and other bugs! However, if you keep hearing the call coming from one spot, take a closer look, you might find a hummingbird perched on a stick!
The hummingbird family is huge (more than 300 species!), and most only make high-pitched vocalizations, but some species do sing. Their songs are nothing like the melodious whistled vocalizations made by thrushes and other songbirds. However, species like the Anna’s Hummingbird, and several tropical hummingbird species do have structured songs.
At least one tropical species, the Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, also mimics other birds! I’ve heard them calling like flycatchers and other species countless times.
Different Calls That Hummingbirds Make
Chipping calls
These are the most common sounds that hummingbirds make. Some species make high-pitched chipping calls that sound more like ticking notes while other species make sharp chip notes a lot like a warbler or other small songbird.
We can hear hummingbirds making chipping calls in flight or from a perch. They give these vocalizations in a variety of situations, especially when they are agitated with other hummingbirds or when they see a predator.
Photograph © Greg Lavaty
Chipping calls can also be part of a hummingbird’s song. Lesser Violetear and Brown Violetear are two such hummingbird species from Central and South America. Males of both of these species spend lots of time calling from perches, mostly to attract female hummingbirds.
Their calls are a constant sound in the mountains of Costa Rica, especially on sunny days.
Trilling calls
Many hummingbird species also make trilling calls, especially tropical species. These are high-pitched, repetitive calls that descend in pitch. They usually make them to show where their territory is, similar to why other birds sing.
Hummingbirds can also make trilling calls just before they chase another hummingbird away, or as part of their song. I often hear the trilling vocalization of the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird in Costa Rica. Visiting birders sometimes wonder if they are hearing a flycatcher or even a woodpecker!
Although its trilling call can remind people of the Downy Woodpecker, it is much higher-pitched.
Whining calls
If you hear the whining vocalizations of hummingbirds, you have also found a hummingbird nest! The only hummingbirds that make a high-pitched, whining sound are baby hummingbirds. They make this distinctive call to beg for food from their parents.
It’s not the easiest call to hear; it’s high-pitched and pretty quiet! Some young hummingbirds might still make this vocalization shortly after leaving the nest but most only make the sound as nestlings.
Scratchy calls
Hummingbirds can also make staccato, scratchy sounds. Small hummingbirds often intersperse these odd, crackling sounds with chipping or ticking calls. They frequently give such sounds in flight although some hummingbirds that sing also make them while perched.
One such species is the Anna’s Hummingbird. This and the related Costa’s Hummingbird are two of the main North American hummingbird species that sing. The Anna’s has a very scratchy “song” that it sings five to ten times per hour! Although the males can sing any time of the year, they sing most often from November to May.
Mechanical sounds
Hummingbirds can also make odd, mechanical-sounding vocalizations! This might not be so common for North American species, but several tropical species make strange, mechanical, or even digital-sounding vocalizations.
In Costa Rica, a big purple hummingbird known as the “Violet Sabrewing” makes some calls like this. Males sing from perches over and over, blending chip calls, short trills, squeaky sounds, and mechanical notes.
Another hummingbird in Costa Rica with mechanical or digital-sounding calls is the Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer. Males of this big rainforest species make weird, repeated vocalizations that can sound like miniature cogs and rayguns!
Other Kinds Of Sounds
Hummingbirds make a surprising variety of sounds. Some of their main sounds don’t even come out of their mouths! Several species make trilling and buzzing sounds with their wings and tails.
Hummingbird wings beat so fast, most species make whirring or buzzing sounds during flight. Small species make higher-pitched buzzy sounds, while the wings of larger hummingbirds make a lower-pitched whirring noise.
Those differences in hummingbird wing sounds are especially notable at flowering bushes or hummingbird feeders in Arizona and tropical regions.
There are also hummingbirds with modified wing feathers that make distinctive trilling sounds.
Two such species are the Broad-tailed Hummingbird and the Rufous Hummingbird. The male Broad-tailed Hummingbird in particular, makes a constant trilling sound while foraging at flowering bushes in the Rocky Mountains.
To the practiced ear, the difference in wing trilling sound can also be used to separate the Black-chinned Hummingbird from the Ruby-throated Hummingbird!
Several hummingbirds also use their tails to make important sounds during courtship displays.
At the end of their courtship dive, Anna’s Hummingbird and several other small hummingbird species spread and move their tails to make sharp chipping, buzzing, and whistle-like sounds!
Another sound you might hear hummingbirds make is snoring! During their nightly hibernation, hummingbirds regularly make soft soring sounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you call the sound of a hummingbird?
Hummingbird chip and squeak. They can also make trilling calls and other sounds too.
Do hummingbirds make a whistle sound?
No, hummingbirds don’t make whistle sounds. However, some people feel that Allen’s Hummingbirds make a whistling sound at the end of its courtship display.
Do hummingbirds have voices?
Yes, all hummingbirds have voices. Hummingbirds make chipping calls and other high-pitched sounds, and some species also sing.
Do baby hummingbirds make noise?
Just like other baby birds, baby hummingbirds make noise. They make whining sounds when begging for food.
Do hummingbirds have a sensitive hearing?
Yes, hummingbirds have a relatively sensitive hearing.