Bird Courtship Display - Page 4

A Scarlet Tanager male may drop its wings to expose its red back while a female perches in front of its mate, while Herring Gulls toss and turn their heads and provide choking or pecking displays. Arriving in the breeding region, the male begins his mating ritual by singing to the female bird. Once a pair is formed, the male continues to sing while he accompanies his mate as she forages.

Mating displays can also be quite spectacular, as in the sky dance of the Northern Harrier. Over fields or marshes across North America in April you may see this usually low-flying hawk climbing skyward on powerful wing strokes, and then plunging toward the ground while uttering a faint chipping call. The dive is usually repeated in a continuous series by the male, who traces a deep U-shaped pattern or cartwheels in the sky.