How Do Birds Attract Their Mates?

By Richard Worden

At optimal conditions, birds reproduce significantly, and you can't help but wonder about the process leading to it as an avid bird lover. We've already been told they produce sexually, but how do birds attract their mates?

Birds attract their mates by singing. The males flex their vocal cords in various intricate songs to impress females, and if they successfully lure them, mating begins. Moreover, touching is another courtship behavior in some bird species, but you'll only notice it from close observation.

If you're interested in how birds attract mates, continue reading this article. I'll also provide more insight into how often mating happens, the reproduction process, and how eggs are eventually formed & laid later.

Various Ways Birds Attract Their Mates

Like other organisms, one of birds' living features is to reproduce in due time, and it must involve at least two of the opposite sex to be successful.

Mating has to be consensual between every potential reproducing pair (in most cases), so there must be some method for an attraction before reproduction. 

Although it is relatively easy to understand when birds are feeding, nesting, or incubating, their common courtship behaviors may not be so obvious. Regardless, here are the proven, most typical ones:

Singing

Don't expect an Ed Sheeran love song or a five-minute diss track in your backyard, but some bird species sing at least on their level to attract mates.

Like us, females are mainly on the listening side as the males try to lure them with pleasant harmonies. Any female (with their brain responding to sound just like a human’s brain) attracted to the song visits the talented artist

With other factors like song variety, appearance, and possession of survival instincts, the female decides whether or not to advance to mating. We can consider the male successful if she does agree.

Some of the most renowned bird species for singing include: 

As discussed on EarthSky, another reason for a bird’s melody is to mark & defend territories from potential intruders, and an avian couple also sings to keep each other faithful. However, love may loom in your yard whenever you hear their songs again.

• Summer tanager
• Song thrush
• Hermit thrush
• Northern mockingbird
• Brown thrasher
  
  

Touching & Allopreening

What's a better way to show affection than physically proving it?

Usually, preening is a maintenance behavior by a bird to take care of its feathers, but allopreening extends that maintenance to another, usually of an offspring or potential mating partner.

Foremost, allopreening helps a bird identify that another is of the same species because birds prioritize it before leaping into any relationship. After confirmation, the door may be open for any sexual advances.

Usually, the behavior is mutual, with both grooming each other with their beaks, culminating in mating. Hence, when you see birds becoming too close to others, just smile, wave, and leave them be. 

Displays

Just as humans may be attracted to muscularity or prettiness, birds also attract mates with unique physical qualities.

Peacocks are the most famous birds that put on a show with their plumage to seek a mate’s  attention. When they are ready, they fan out their stunning tail feathers to females who see them as proof of their desirable strength and health. 

Males of some avian species, like robins, are also renowned for possessing striking feathers during spring. The feathers' flamboyance attracts even the least-concerned bird lovers, let alone the bird's female counterparts.

Other species have even adaptively developed flashy feathers on their wings and tails just to draw more mates.

Here's some amazing (and entertaining) bird mating displays
Check out this YouTube video!

Building

Female birds are impressed by hardworking males, proven by their intricately built nests. And with further decoration with flowers, the nests become more conspicuous and beautiful. 

An attracted female that likes the nest (out of many others possibly) will move in primarily to begin a courtship with the proud architect. The male then claims the area as his territory and shows his abilities to defend it. 

However, the nest is no guarantee that the female will lay her eggs there, as some leave to build their own after mating. 

Bowerbirds, native to Australia, and Wrens are species that usually use this luring tactic.

Mate-Feeding

No one says 'no' to good food, and this can surprisingly lead to a sexual relationship in birds. Insects or seeds can suffice, depending on the species. 

Male birds provide food to females to prove their hunting prowess during courtship. It demonstrates that they cannot only find food but can share it and even feed others, which is crucial in helping feed potential nestlings. 

Others, however, can only do the hunting and drop the food close by for the female to eat.

As you can see, not all birds like female Northern cardinals want a playboy, but rather a partner that will support her post-mating. Hence, this behavior proves that quality.

Do Birds Dance To Attract Mates?

If you closely watch bird flocks in your backyard, vet office, or forest, you'll notice that they're highly choreographic, and it's easy to feel they're just playing or vibing to some music. However, the real reason may surprise you.

Birds dance to attract mates for breeding in various ways. Sometimes it may just be a method to display their feathers, which should be deemed impressive; other times, the dance moves matter. If the bird puts its best foot forward, an interested mate will reach out, and reproduction will ensue.

It can be entertaining for bird watchers when birds execute their moves, but it is serious business to them. Weakness, inexperience, or reluctance to perform can discourage potential mates from making advances. 

Notwithstanding, here are some popular birds that dance:

Red-capped Manakin

Even Michael Jackson would be proud of these species for their 'moonwalk' moves to impress a female.

The male red-capped manakin picks a branch, defends it, and begins dancing.

He also flaps his feathers and tail wings so loudly to complement the courtship dance throughout the performance.

Sandhill Crane

If you're not a good dancer, consider taking some classes from the sandhill crane because their intricate steps to attract mates are like no other. 

They perform simple wing flapping and jumping but even go as far as throwing vegetation in the air and catching it. You can even find a pair or trio dancing at a time if you're lucky.

Magnificent Riflebird

This species' mating dance involves spreading its wings and slicing them back and forth through the air. They also hop forward simultaneously, waving their head sideways to their flapping wings' rhythm. how do birds attract their mates

The primary reason for throwing their head around is to expose their iridescent neck feathers, which the potential mate may appreciate.

This YouTube video shows the Riflebird in action!

How Often Do Birds Mate in a Season?

It can take minutes or hours for a male bird to successfully attract a mate, but the actual mating takes only seconds to minutes. Does that mean they'll continue restarting the process until the breeding season ends?

Most birds mate multiple times with different partners per season; some mate only once, and others breed once every duration. Birds are diverse, so it depends on the species. However, since they don't derive pleasure from mating, the instinctive drive fades away from some after a successful mating. 

It also depends on the bird's gender, as females usually focus on nesting after successfully mating, while males may look for new mates.

I'll concisely discuss the categories of birds and share some example species below:

• Once per season: Some avian pairs that keep temporary monogamous relationships stick around to prepare for the offspring. Zebra finches and eastern bluebirds are some examples.
• Multiple times per season: Most bird species, like the ruby-throated hummingbird, usually look to spread their genes during one mating season by mating with multiple partners in one season.
• Duration-based: Many birds that have only one mate till the partner dies, like swans, geese, and eagles, mate after every period. Some perform it annually, others biennially, and so on, depending on the species.
  
  

What Birds Do After Mating

The courtship displays and successful mating of birds are a prelude to producing eggs. 

The sperm released from the male aids fertilization in the female, and the eggs are ready days later. how do birds attract their mates

The females may leave to prepare a nest, anticipating their potential offspring. However, as discussed, some males have designed a nest to accommodate them.

The female parent lays the eggs eventually and sits on them for incubation.

In most species, whether the male parent is available or not after the offspring's birth, the mother will nurture them to maturity. From feeding to training the hatchlings for life in the wild, they are highly caring except in adverse cases. 

How Do Birds Attract Their Mates...Conclusion

Birds attract their mates in several ways depending on the species. However, here are the most common proven behaviors:

• Singing
• Dancing
• Displays
• Allopreening
• Nest-building, and
• Mate-feeding

When a bird successfully attracts a mate, they copulate, and the female builds nests in anticipation of her offspring. Sometimes, a male has already prepared one for them. 

Many birds mate multiple times with several partners per season; some mate only once and focus on raising their hatchlings, while others mate after a duration. 

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Hi! I'm Richard Worden, the author and founder of We Know Birds.

Over 20 years ago I developed a keen interest in birds and birdwatching, and it has been my passion ever since. I am committed to spreading useful knowledge about birds to others so we might all enjoy them to the fullest.

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