Courtship display

A courtship display is a special set of actions that animals, often males, use to try to find a partner. These actions help the other animal decide whether to mate, which is important for how species continue.

These displays can include moving in special patterns, making calls or noises, or showing off bright colors and features. They help animals choose the best partner for their young, keeping the species strong and healthy.

Courtship displays are seen in many animals around the world, from birds to insects, and they show how nature has many ways to bring animals together.

Male display

In some animals, males do special dances or movements to get a female’s attention. For example, the six-plumed bird-of-paradise does a “ballerina” dance with special feathers. In fruit flies, males make patterns with their wings and move quickly to show off.

Other animals use both sights and sounds to attract mates. The Anna's hummingbird and the calliope hummingbird have two main ways to show off. One way is to hover in front of the female, moving their bodies and tails while their wings make a buzzing sound. Another way is to fly high up and then dive down quickly, making a buzzing sound with their tail feathers as they pass over the female.

Some animals build special things to attract females. The satin bowerbird builds and decorates nests called “bowers” with bright blue objects. Males with more decorations often find mates more easily.

In most cases, males start these displays to show off their traits, and females choose a mate based on what they see.

Female display

Female courtship display is rare in nature because females usually use a lot of energy to show off special traits and make eggs. However, sometimes males are the ones who choose mates. This can happen if there are not many males, like when there are more females than males. Males might also have to work hard to get gifts for females or spend a lot of time courting them, which can be tiring.

In pipefish (Syngnathus typhle), females show a special striped pattern to attract males and to scare away other females who might want the same males. This pattern helps them get a mate and keeps other females away.

Multi-modal signal processing

Many animals show special behaviors to attract a mate. These behaviors can include dancing, making sounds, or showing off physical features. Often, animals use more than one type of behavior at the same time. This is called multi-modal signaling.

There are two main ideas about why animals use many types of signals. One idea is that each signal helps the other animal understand more about them. Another idea is that using many signals makes sure the message gets through, even if one signal doesn’t work.

For example, green tree frogs use both sounds and visual displays to attract mates. Females prefer males that use both types of signals together. Peacock spiders also use both visual displays and vibrations to attract mates. These spiders show how using many signals can help in attracting a mate.

Sometimes, females also show off special features to attract males. For example, some dance flies have special body parts they use during courtship. These features help them attract mates.

Mutual display

Sometimes, both males and females in a species show displays together to strengthen their bond. For example, birds like the great crested grebe and crested auklets make sounds to each other to show they are a pair.

In some cases, males work together to perform displays that help attract females. This can be seen in long-tailed manakins.

Wild turkeys also show cooperative displays where groups of males work together to attract females. Usually, only the strongest male in the group will mate, but the others help to support him. This behavior helps related males succeed in finding mates.

Sexual ornaments

Sexual ornaments are special traits that help animals look more attractive to mates. These traits show that the animal is healthy and strong. For example, when female canaries hear males singing especially well, they might lay bigger and stronger eggs. This shows how important these displays can be for attracting mates.

Sexual conflict

Sexual conflict happens when males and females have different goals about having babies. Males often want to mate with many females. Females usually want to choose strong males.

Courtship displays help females decide which males to choose.

Agonistic behavior and courtship

Sometimes, animals may act aggressively during courtship. This usually happens between males fighting for a mate, but it can also happen when males try to get a female’s attention. For example, male fiddler crabs wave their large claws to attract females, even though these claws are also used in fights. In some primate species, males may act aggressively toward females to keep them close.

In some cases, males will compete for the best spots to show off during courtship. This can lead to fights between males, especially in lek mating systems where many males gather to display.

Extended courtship period

Many animals choose their partners before mating. This time is called courtship and it usually lasts from 15 minutes to a few days. But some animals have a much longer courtship.

One example is the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri). Emperor penguins can have a courtship that lasts up to two months. This is the longest of any Arctic seabird. In their close relatives, the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), courtship is much shorter.

Energetic costs

Courtship displays can use a lot of energy for animals. The amount of energy used can vary between different species. Some animals, like a type of salamander, use very little energy even when they have complex behaviors.

Other animals, especially those with long or fancy displays, use a lot of energy and may get tired. To prevent this, some animals might eat extra before their courtship time. For example, greater sage-grouse males strut and display many times a day during their breeding season, using much more energy than when they are resting.

Environmental factors

Different things in the environment, like temperature, light, and food, can change when and how animals show off to find a mate.

For example, in guppies, the small fish also known as Poecilia reticulata, light affects how they act. When the light makes their colors stand out more, male guppies show off more and try to get closer to females. In emperor penguins, having more food nearby helps them get ready for breeding season faster, so they can start their courtship sooner. Some flies called Hirtodrosophila mycetophaga prefer to mate on lighter-colored fungus so their displays are easier to see.

Evolutionary significance

Scientists have ideas about how courtship displays evolved in animals. One idea is the Fisherian runaway model. This suggests females chose males with special features, like bright colors or big feathers, because they looked attractive. Over time, these features became common.

Another idea is the "good genes" hypothesis. This says females choose males that show strong genes with impressive features, even if those features might not help them survive. For example, only healthy males can have very bright and complex feathers. A third idea is the sensory exploitation hypothesis, which suggests females prefer males because of natural likes, like bright or unusual things.