▶️ Marvelous Spatuletail Mating Dance

The Marvelous Spatuletail, like many hummingbird species including the Black-eared Fairy and Rainbow-bearded Thornbill, has a name that is both charming and descriptive. It's only found in the Rio Utcubamba Valley in northern Peru.

The male Marvelous Spatuletail truly lives up to its name. Its tail is edged with two long wire-like outer feathers that cross each other and end in large violet-blue discs or "spatules." These specialized feathers grow to three or four times the bird's body length, and the male can move each one independently. Tail length varies with age. These remarkable feathers are used during the male's courtship display.

Male spatuletails perform their marvelous display at leks, or communal display areas, where females visit to select a mate. Other hummingbird species such as the Snowcap and Chilean Woodstar use this type of system.