Observations on the Vervain Hummingbird’s (mellisuga Minima) Display Dive and Territorial Behavior

– Unlike the display dives of other bee hummingbirds, the Vervain Hummingbird (Mellisuga minima) mating display has been reported as a series of vertical ascents performed by both male and female. The discovery of a male holding a territory on a steep hillside allowed me to make observations and recordings of his territorial behavior. My video-recordings of two males engaging in the vertical ascent behavior leads me to interpret the behavior as competitive. Furthermore I describe for the first time the species’ display dive and present acoustic evidence that the dive-noise made by this species is vocal. Accepted 20 March 2006.