Page 90 - One Million Things: Animal Life - The Incredible Visual Guide

COURTSHIP

Many male animals use courtship to attract females. The most
spectacular courtship displays happen among birds. Male birds
sing, dance, or use other strategies to impress potential mates.
Some are brightly colored when compared to the females, and
they advertise themselves using their plumage. For birds such as
eagles, courtship begins a lifelong bond between partners. KINGFISHER
Courtship feeding is important for
many birds, including kingfishers.
The male offers food to a female to
reinforce the bond between them.
This may continue when she incubates
the eggs so she does not go hungry.

BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY
big, blue webbed feet. When
These Pacific Ocean seabirds have

courting, the male booby stamps his
feet, lifts his tail, and then performs a
strut, showing off his feet to impress
a female and persuade her to mate.

LYREBIRD

To attract females, the male
Male and female bald eagles perform a
BALD EAGLE forest sounds, such as chainsaws.
Australian superb lyrebird fans his
dramatic courtship display that
includes tumbling over each other in
long, elegant tail feathers over his
midair. They link talons and cartwheel
head. He then sings a complex song,
downward through the air, separating
mimicking other birds’ calls as well as
just before they reach the ground.

88

(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

12/1/09 12:44:00
US_088_089_Courtship.indd 88 10/12/08 15:40:49
088_089_Courtship.indd 88