What is the "hummingbird sex position"?

That was the question on this staff’s mind this morning when the phrase appeared as a top search on Google Trends – meaning it’s one of the most-searched phrases on the Internet.

Because the public seems so interested in mirroring the mating process of these small creatures of nature, wowOwow asked Dr. Christopher Tudge, assistant biology professor at American University, to explain the hummingbird’s reproduction process.

The Hummingbird Mating Process 101:

The male hummingbirds are aggressive territorial animals. When a bird catches their fancy, they will do whatever it takes to woo her. Males are known to have elaborate aerial dances to grab a female’s attention and will also fight for females and duel beak to beak in the air. To attract the ladies, males make squeaking and whistling noises using their bills and will also flutter their tail feathers. The female watches and decides whether the male is worthy of her.

Once the female decides this bird’s "the one," the rest happens quickly.

The female usually perches on a tree branch. (They can’t make love while flying.) Then, the male goes behind the female. The male stands on the female’s back and twists his tail around underneath the female. (A male hummingbird has a very tiny penis that gets pushed out for a couple seconds.) The entire lovemaking lasts just four seconds. But the pair can perform the mating process multiple times a day. Afterward, they both fly their separate ways. The female will then usually build a nest to raise her family. The male will fly off in pursuit of other female interests.

Hummingbirds are "sneaky copulators" — meaning if either partner gets a chance to sneak off with someone else, they probably will. Because for the birds, it’s all about spreading genetic diversity in your offspring.

What can humans learn from a hummingbird? The human species should take a page from the male hummingbird’s playbook when it comes to the bird’s passion to win the female over. The male hummingbird will do just about anything to win the affections of the female. From battling other birds to swallowing their pride to song and dance — there’s definitely something romantic about this courting process.

Hummingbird basics: The hummingbirds is one of the smallest birds in nature. Many species weigh just an ounce or two — and some species are less than one ounce. North American hummingbirds are only three to five inches long. Some of the bird’s bills are longer than their bodies. They beat their wings exceptionally fast — up to 70 times per second — causing a zinging sound. Most hummingbirds are solitary creatures and do not socialize often. They will occasionally share a bird feeder.