The way to woo her

Breeding season is upon us, and with many manu on the market for a mate, individuals (typically males) must work hard to attract or keep potential partners. Birds will exhibit courtship behaviour, which encompasses a wide range of actions. Some of the most obvious are the courtship displays where a male might flare his wings or tail, or even undertake a kind of dance to demonstrate that he is strong and healthy, and therefore a suitable mate. Kererū, for example, perform impressive flight displays, flying upward before appearing to almost stall, then swooping down.

Sometimes the behaviour is more subtle: for example, birds may preen each other as a way of diffusing aggression and strengthening the pair bond. The male may also feed the female, which can serve to both strengthen their pair bond while also providing nutrition to the female, who needs to expend a lot of energy during breeding. Sometimes, a female will even act similarly to a fledgling and beg for food from her partner, which is thought to allow the male to demonstrate his parental ability to feed future offspring.

Photo by Scott Langdale