Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 14, 1991 TAG: 9102140337
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: PATRICIA C. HELD
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In the animal world, love expresses itself in amazing gestures of courtship and sometimes deep devotion. From the lifelong relationship of a pair of geese to the quick romance between a rabbit couple, animals have remarkable ways to show their feelings and interest in the opposite sex.
Many animals have eye-catching physical features to attract a mate. These physical traits combined with specialized movements communicate their intentions. The fiddler crab, for example, waves his brightly colored claw and dances for his lady friend.
Birds have specialized feathers and other adornments to attract a mate. The best known perhaps is the peacock, which displays his magnificent tail in an amorous gesture. The ruffed grouse spreads his tail to form a handsome fan and raises a ruff of glossy feathers around his neck as he struts about.
Sometimes there is a great deal of competition for a mate. To prepare for this, males frequently have special armament for the contest. Each summer the bull elk and buck deer grow antlers. Male turkeys and pheasants have special spurs on their legs as weapons against rivals.
Sounds are often a part of courtship. Some males produce warning sounds to announce their territorial claims to other males or their availability to passing females.
The crayfish sings a grunty tune by rubbing its feelers against its beak, and the lobster snaps its claws. The woodcock uses special wing feathers to make an unusual sound, and the cricket rubs its wing parts together to produce its own special song.
Birds are probably the best known for their songs and calls. Their melodious music attracts partners and also helps define their territories. This is the case with the red-winged blackbird as it calls "kow-a-kee" to announce its home area to passing males.
Elaborate dances are sometimes a part of the courtship ritual. Some species of spiders have rituals that consist of a series of waltzes and pirouettes. Rabbits perform hopping dances, and mallard ducks execute a water ballet.
If an animal's adult lifetime is limited to just a few days, as is the case with some moths, they must work fast to find a mate. Males of some moth species have broad and feathered antennae that are used to follow the scent of a prospective mate, sometimes miles away.
Of all the animals, the most elaborate courtships can be found among certain bird species. A male wren deposits twigs in all of the tree holes in his territory. Then he lets his prospective mate choose the best hole in which to build her nest.
The waxwing does his courting by offering a tasty gift to his sweetheart. He presents a cherry or other small fruit to the female. It is a sign of definite interest if she accepts it, but does not eat it and slips it back into his bill. The couple then continue to sit side by side passing the gift back and forth again and again.
But of all the birds the bower bird has the most amazing courtship customs. The male builds an elaborate cottage bedecked with bright flowers and berries. He then invites his mate to join him inside.
Reader notes
George Lenzan of Roanoke wrote to ask if finches will eat other seed once they become accustomed to thistle seed at a feeder. Finches, especially goldfinches, will often eat thistle seed exclusively, if given a choice. But a feeder kept filled with a good quality sunflower seed will keep most finches quite happy.
Hillsville's Kathleen Goodwin wrote about a male cardinal that visits her home regularly. It attacks her windows aggressively, pecking, banging and spitting.
Cardinals are aggressively territorial and will drive off competing males. When a cardinal sees its reflection in the window it thinks its a rival and attacks it. Rarely does the practice harm the bird, which usually quits after the breeding season. Goodwin's cardinal doesn't stop and continues this strange behavior well past the breeding season.
Patricia Held will respond to readers' questions on the plant and animal wildlife in the region. Mail inquiries to: Patricia C. Held, P.O. Box 65, Goode, Va. 24556.
by CNB