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A Study on How do Birds Mate: The Delicate Process of Procreation
Mating and procreation are what the life of earth based on in general. From the human being, God’s supreme creation, to the animals, birds, and even worms and insects, this process of procreating progeny is common among all living beings. In general, mating includes several steps including preparing the atmosphere, wooing the partner, and getting intimate with the chosen partner. Our flying friends, the birds also undergo these steps while making love with their partners.
Let’s know how do birds mate. Stick to the end for some interesting facts about birds mating.
The Prologue
The common myth we often hear is birds do mate while flying. Yes, it is nothing but a myth. Though they are majorly flying creatures, they do not mate while flying. So, how do birds mate? Surely, they do not get a romantic bedroom with a blue dim light ambiance and fragrant candles. Let’s get into how they proceed with the beautiful process of getting intimate with their partners.
How do Birds Mate: The Season and Ambiance
Yes, birds do not get a romantic bedroom ambiance. But nature is kind enough to arrange the amorous atmosphere for them. There are some particular seasons that awaken their natural urge of mating. Usually, it is the spring season. The warming temperature and the freshly blooming flowers fill the air with a pleasant aura that moves the birds. You can hear wooing songs of birds around you frequently. Also, if you have trees at your place, you can see birds collecting nesting materials.
However, the mating season may vary as per the geography of a place and other factors. Different regions for example hilly regions or dessert places may have different mating seasons for the birds. After all, the mating season is all about ensuring the comfort for intercourse among the birds and the safe survival of the eggs and baby chicks.
How do Birds Mate: The Courtship
During mating season the male birds take an effort to woo the female buddies. Often, they do it by singing a charming song or humming a beautiful tune. Some of them showcase their beautiful tails and feathers to attract their lady friends. It is like a competition that takes place in some particular season. Every male bird tries its best to please the female ones. Let’s know about some interesting instances of how do birds attract their partners.
- The birds of paradise of Papua New Guinea shake of their gorgeous feathers to turn the female birds on.
- Peregrines perform amusing acrobatic dance moves in the air that attract their female partners.
- The cranes do it in a more aesthetic way. They take gracious leaps into the air and call their possible partners loudly.
- Great crested grebes perform it in a unique way. They dance in the water moving their heads frequently amidst the waterweeds.
- You can see cuckoos humming mesmerizing tunes to call their would-be female counterparts.
- For peafowls, the collective name for the peacocks and peahens, the display of feathers do it all. Peacocks, the male partners showcase their exquisite blue-green tail feathers to impress the peahens.
So, after all of such different kinds of wooing and attracting the partners finally the females take action. The ladies then choose their male partner among those many competitors. The more the male impress, the higher the chances of being chosen by a female partner are.
How do Birds Mate: The Mating Process
When it comes to the birds making love, the concept of mammalian sex doesn’t work. Most of the birds do not have sexual organs like the vagina or penises except ducks and ostriches. Instead, they have a cloaca. Now, what is cloaca? It might be a new term for you. Well, let us explain. The cloaca is an internal chamber where the internal sexual organs like testes and ovaries are found. The chamber, however, ends in an opening. Through the opening, the male ones discharge sperms and the female ones bring out the eggs.
Here, we have jotted down the beautiful process of how do birds mate.
- The cloacas of both of the male and female birds swell sticking slightly out of the body.
- The birds often feel playful and turned on in the season of mating.
- When they feel their mating urge coming out, the male went on top of the females.
- Moving their tails and feathers aside, the males expose the cloacas of the females.
- Then, the male rubs its cloaca against the female one’s.
- In this way, the male’s sperm stored in the testes inside their cloacas get into the female cloacas.
- Finally, it reaches an egg inside the ovaries placed in the cloacas of the females and fertilizes it.
In a jovial, playful state, the birds mate many a time during the season. A long series of beautiful intercourses take place before the one successful copulation followed by the fertilization. So, now you know how do birds mate. Let’s move forward with some interesting facts about it.
How do Birds Mate: Some Interesting Facts to Know
The complete process of procreation among the birds is one of the most beautiful happenings in nature. This natural phenomenon reminds us of the basic cycle of our life which includes the trio of birth, procreation, and death. Now, you know about how do birds mate. Let’s enjoy some interesting facts about the mating of birds.
Fact 1: Most of the male birds are sterile throughout the years until the mating season arrives.
Fact 2: In dessert areas, birds have flexible mating seasons instead of a particular one as a sudden storm or flood of water may set off the mating season there.
Fact 3: Birds mostly have sex in only one position.
Fact 4: Female ducks use their vaginas to defend against unwanted advances from over-excited males.
Fact 5: Male birds often get desperate to attract female ones.
Bottom the Line
Whether it is a human being or an animal, mating is a significant process. In this article, you have got an idea about how do birds mate. Also, the interesting facts have amused you. Let’s take a pause now and ponder over nature’s divine power of creation. Click here to know some amazing behavioral facts about cats.
