Courtship behaviour can be described as mate-selection rituals. Animal courtship may involve complicated dances or touching, vocalising, visual displays of beauty or fighting prowess, or chemical production. Courtship rituals are species-specific. Even closely related species have different courtship behaviours. This ensures that energy is not wasted on interspecific mating. Females choose their mate based on their fitness ability behaviour and will choose the male they see with the best desirable traits (eg colour or size).
The Macgregor Bowerbird is an example of an animal who displays courtship behaviours.
MacGregor Bowerbird's courting behaviours:
- They show off their mimicry skills by imitating sounds such as other birds, pigs, rushing water, and even human speech
- Their flamboyant orangey-yellow crest, which is partially hidden most of the time, is shown off to display its full colour
- Once the female is in their bower, the male will play 'hide-and-seek' to keep her interested
- They build a tower that can reach heights of over 1 meter tall, and decorate it with things such as sap, leaves, twigs, flowers, insects etc.
Their mimicry behaviour is also important to ward off unwanted predators such as boars invading their bower. This trait will be a desirable trait to give to her offspring so this will increase the chance of the male being successful with courting.
The crest is kept hidden except for during sexual display, to minimise his vulnerability to predators. This is because the bright colour would hinder its ability to hide from predators as it makes them more visible. However, the brighter and bigger crests are also more likely to increase their success with the female because the female may be impressed by the male's ability to be able to survive, another example of the male Bowerbird showcasing their fitness abilities during a courtship ritual.
Rival males will even try to sabotage other nearby male MacGregor Bowerbird's towers as the female is more likely to go to the biggest tower.
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