Bird mating: courtship and mating season of the birds

What is the courtship behavior of birds like? When do they court? How do birds fertilize each other? When does the mating of the birds take place? And when and how long do they breed?

In the spring, too, the hormones of birds go crazy and everything revolves around the subject of reproduction. Males look for a territory and try to attract a partner. Females aim to select the best genes for their offspring. How exactly the courtship behavior of different bird species looks like and what else belongs to it after the successful search for a partner before the first young birds can hatch, you can find out here in our large information article on the subject of courtship and mating of Birds.

Bird mating: courtship time and courtship behavior of birds

The beginning of the courtship season depends on the type of bird. While many owls and woodpeckers start courting as early as February, partner advertising for other bird species only begins between March and April. As is so often the case in the animal kingdom, it is mostly the males who woo a partner and try to by the display of magnificent feathers and dances or sonorous calls and chants impress. Particularly conspicuous, loud or dominant males are preferred by the females, as they show the strength and health that the females want for their offspring.

Most of our classic garden birds are songbirds, which - as the name suggests - mainly draw attention to themselves through their melodic song. Of the great spotted woodpecker on the other hand, its female attracts with a rhythmic drumming and our domestic ducks form a special splendor during the breeding season, which impresses with its colors and contrasts. You can find more information on different plumage and their meaning in our special article on the subject of "Feathers of birds“.

Reproductive behavior and mating season of birds

The mating of the newly united partners usually follows immediately after the courtship period. Often it is the climax directly after the respective courtship ritual. The actual mating is similar to that of mammals and other animal groups, even if the sexual organs are designed a little differently. For the purpose of reproduction, birds have a body opening called a cloaca and with whose help transfer the male's sperm to the female and thus fertilize the eggs will. The mating can be done in bird nest, in the cave, on the ground or even in the air.

Breeding and breeding season of birds

The beginning of the breeding season, like the courtship and mating season, depends on the bird species. The female often lays the eggs one day apart and starts incubating when all the eggs are in the nest. For an optimal heat supply, most birds have a breeding spot, which consists of a small bare and particularly good one perfused skin area on the belly of the animals and which is formed during the breeding season by the hormonally controlled loss of feathers will. After the breeding season, the breeding spot disappears again under a thick coat of feathers so that the animals do not lose unnecessary warmth in winter. With many bird species, breeding is a woman's job, but it is not uncommon for partners to take turns breeding.

Note: A distinction is made between the breeding season and the breeding period. The incubation period describes how long the eggs are incubated. This can take anywhere from a few days to two or three weeks, depending on the type. The breeding season, on the other hand, describes the period of time that covers the entire breeding activity of the species. If breeding pairs carry out several broods in one season, the breeding season can extend over several months.

The courtship efforts of the males, the egg production of the females and the constant heat production during breeding are associated with a high expenditure of energy. Because of this, expectant bird parents need to eat a lot. You can support your garden birds during this stressful time by spreading bird seed. In our increasingly monotonous, intensified and urbanized landscape, native wild birds find less and less natural food. Our Plantura all year round feed For example, it was specially developed for the breeding season and offers a species-appropriate and young animal-friendly source of food for many domestic breeding and garden birds.

You can find out more about young birds and their feeding, about different development stages and other aspects of brood care in our special article on "Nestlings“.