Bird Courtship Ritual - What To Expect When The Pigeon Mating Season Starts

It is difficult to say exactly what an individual racing pigeon will do during the

bird courtship ritual; there are considerable differences from bird-to-bird.

Some cocks readily start the bird courtship ritual whereas some seem very reluctant and almost scared of the females. However, though there are differences in the intensity in different bird courtship rituals, a general pattern is always seen.

If the birds are given a choice then the cock will chose a hen and start strutting around in front of her, with his chest puffed out. He will parade back and forth in front of her, pushing his chest out as much as possible and cooing deeply and smoothly. As he does this he will bob his head up and down and turn circles, as if dancing, in front of the hen he has chosen.

If the hen is unmated then she will not usually resist his bird courtship ritual advances. If she is mated, then her mate will quickly come and attack the new bird.

The hen will indicate her willingness to the cock by a soft cooing, and walking around as if quite self conscious of the attention.

She will start to slowly dance around the loft, leading the cock on. At this point in the bird courtship ritual it is easy to distinguish the males from females as, during this dance:

The cock will coo with a deep note and will dance in full circles.

The hen will have a more gentle, feminine coo, and will very rarely turn in a full circle.

This stage of the bird courtship is "sealed with a kiss": the cock will snuggle up to the hen and open his beak and then she puts her beak in his. During this kiss some people believe the cock gives some food through regurgitation, but either way, it's just a token gift.

The third stage of the bird courtship ritual is the treading of the hen, although very rarely you'll see two birds of the same sex doing this.

When the hen is roused and ready she will follow the cock around as if begging for a kiss. When the cock stands still she will run her beak through the bck of the cock's head and neck as if stroking him, and will nibble his neck at the same time.

Soon after this, the bird courtship ritual is completed with the copulation.

Bird Courtship Ritual - What To Expect When The Pigeon Mating Season Starts

By: Elliott Lang

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