Females are drawn in by displays of song and dance that are vigorous and intense, but not excessively so. Immoderate wing flipping and buzzing can look a lot like an aggressive display of one male toward another, which is a powerful turnoff for a female. So males are in a bit of a bind, says Patricelli: They need to display intensely to be attractive, but not go over the top, or they may drive females away. Courtship calls for more sensitivity than swagger, more tango, less kickboxing.
