Hummingbird Turns Its Face Into A Bizarre Shiny Purple Octopus In This Weird Courtship Ritual

Often when you're watching a nature documentary, often narrated by David Attenborough, you come across some strange behavior that makes you go, "Huh?." The courtship behavior of the Costa’s hummingbird must surely be up there as one of the more bizarre ways nature can behave.

To lure a mate the male hovers in the air, dancing around to show off its shiny green back that shimmers in the desert sun. But that's only the beginning of what it has to offer, because once he has the female's attention he then flares up the purple feathers that surround its neck. That's when the real show begins.

Because by doing this the feathers stretch over its head, catching the sunlight and turning its head into what looks like a metallic purple octopus. The bird obviously has no idea it looks like a CGI octopus, it just thinks it's impressing a female (although the female in this video looks less than impressed). The whole is very weird, almost unreal.

You can watch this incredible display in the clip above, while shaking your head at how crazy nature can be.

"Spring is the time to nest for the Costa's hummingbirds, before the desert gets too hot." notes the clip's narrator. "Both males and females are looking for a partner, but it's up to him to impress her. Though his back shimmers with green, it’s not until we get her point of view that we see his true splendor. He flexes the iridescent feathers of his mantle until they become a glowing mask of violet."

WTF, nature!