To go unbothered while feeding, some female white-necked jacobin hummingbirds adopt a surprising tactic: mimicking the plumage of males.
Female Hummingbirds Mimic Male Plumage to Dodge Harassment
Published on Apr. 09, 2025
It’s no secret to backyard birders that hummingbirds can be fiercely competitive. They’re always zipping about — and when they’re not flying adorably from flower to flower, they’re making sure every other hummingbird in the area stays away from their food source. (Or so it often seems.)
One type of female hummingbird, though, has developed an interesting way to fend off competition. Here’s what to know about white-necked jacobin hummingbirds, and what makes them so interesting to scientists.
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The Power of Plumage and Gender
Because hummingbirds constantly fight each other for food, they’re also constantly looking for ways to outcompete other hummingbirds and gain access to resources they need for survival. Female white-necked jacobin hummingbirds do this in an exceptionally interesting way: some of them adopt male plumage to “trick” males into thinking they’re more threatening.
As a result, these females make themselves less likely to endure an attack when they’re trying to feed. Interestingly, about 1 in 5 females adopts this deceptive disguise.
Here’s how it happens. All juvenile white-necked jacobins start out resembling males, with vibrant blue and white plumage. Around 20 percent of females keep this bright plumage as they mature to adulthood. The remaining 80 percent of females change their appearance, developing more muted green and white colors.
What makes hummingbird feathers so shimmery?
Researching Female White-Necked Jacobins
In a 2021 study published in Current Biology, a group of researchers led by Dr. Jay Falk kept track of the feeding habits of white-necked jacobins. Through the use of stuffed birds and observation, they determined that females were the most typically harassed at feeders by males.
The females that donned male plumage were more frequently undisturbed. The birds gained access to feeders with greater frequency and were chased away less often — both by males of their species, and by other species of hummingbirds.
We asked the experts—do hummingbirds mate for life?
Where Do White-Necked Jacobins Live?
If you’d like to glimpse this unique hummingbird trait for yourself, you’ll have to go on a trip. White-necked jacobins don’t live in the United States. Their range extends through southern Mexico, throughout Central America and northern South America.
Learn more fascinating facts about hummingbird anatomy.
Sources
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “These Female Hummingbirds Masquerade As Males“
- eBird, “White-Necked Jacobin“
- University of Washington, “Cloaked in color: UW-led research finds some female hummingbirds evolve male plumage to dodge aggression“
