iN PHOTOS: Birds begin spring courtship rituals in Kamloops, Okanagan
Here's a sure sign of spring. Several species of birds are pairing up and can be observed calling for mates and doing fancy rituals in Kamloops and the Okanagan. This month area photographers captured water fowl, song birds and a bald eagles in the process of courtship...
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Here's a sure sign of spring. Several species of birds are pairing up and can be observed calling for mates and doing fancy rituals in Kamloops and the Okanagan.
This month area photographers captured water fowl, song birds and a bald eagles in the process of courtship with each species having unique behaviours to watch for.
The common merganser male will swim rapidly in circles near a female and suddenly stretch his neck upward with his bill pointing up and give a soft call, according to Audubon.
https://www.audubon.org/
The male mallard will dip his bill in the water, then rear up, whistle and grunt before sitting back down. He then raises his head and tail while calling sharply, then plunges forward flicking up water with his bill.
Songbirds are also interesting to watch.
The male western meadow lark will sing to defend nesting territory and when courting a female will puff up his chest, spread his tail wide and flick his wings, while the male killdeer will fly high over nesting territory and float in the air with slow wingbeats repeating his unique call.
Bald eagles mate for life and engage in several courtship behaviours as they build their bond. The pair will do aerial displays spinning together with talons clasped together, or a single bird will repeatedly climb high and dive down, according to Live Science.
https://www.livescience.com/55278-animal-sex-bald-eagles.html
As the pair gets closer to copulating, they will sit beside each other making calling sounds and preening on another. The female will call to the male and bow and and the male climbs are her back.
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