Courtship Collection (page 4)

Bull elk bugling, piebald cow watching

Elk (Cervus canadensis) bull and cw sniffing noses, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. September

Rocky mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) bull bugling during rut. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA. October

African lion (Panthera leo) and lioness after mating, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Lady Amhersts pheasant (Chrysolophus amherstiae) male displaying, Kanding, Sichuan, China. April

Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) male offering wasp as nuptial gift, Hungary. June

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) engaged in courtship, with the male hovering above the female. Vava'u, Tonga, Pacific Ocean

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) males displaying and fighting each other at a lek, Finland. May

Common grackle pair (Quiscalus quiscula) in courtship display. Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Florida, USA, April

Wood pigeons (Columba palumbus) male and female during courtship preening display, Norfolk, England, UK, August

Mandarin duck drake (Aix galericulata) on the water, showing orange sail feathers which are used when displaying, Southwest London, UK, March

Clarks grebes (Aechmophorus clarkii) courting pair performing the Weed Ceremony in which they slowly circle breast to breast holding pond weed as nesting material, Lake Hodges, Escondido, California

Black terns (Chlidonias niger), pair on a perch, vocalizing during courtship (termed Erect Posture display), Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, New York, USA, May

Australias crane: the Brolga
A brolga showing how it lives in its environment

Red-footed booby (Sula sula), pair perched in tree. Genovesa Island, Galapagos

Nazca booby (Sula granti), pair billing. Genovesa Island, Galapagos. May 2015

Great bowerbird (Chlamydera nuchalis), male showing off treasures whilst female inspects bower. Lake Argyle, Kununurra, Western Australia

Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) autumn courtship display, Germany, August

Black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), male at lek, Finland, April

Satin bowerbird male at bower decorated with blue objects to attract mate, Lamington NP

King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) at sunrise. Two males and a female, with the males fighting for the attention of the female. Falklands Islands

Andean cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus), two males perched in tree at lek in mid-altitude montane rainforest. Manu Biosphere Reserve, Amazonia, Peru

RF - Andean cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruvianus), male perched in tree at a lek. Mid-altitude montane rainforest, Manu Biosphere Reserve, Amazonia, Peru

Western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) Tver, Russia. May

Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) displaying at a lek in snow, Tver, Russia. April

Northern gannet (Morus bassanus) pair, courtship display, Machias Seal Island, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada, May

Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus) pair preening one another, The Netherlands

Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) adult male displaying in pine forest. Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, February

Capercailie (Tetrao urogallus) male displaying from branch of Scots pine tree. Cairngorms National Park, Highlands, Scotland, UK, March

Common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) male performing its mating display. Southern Norway. March

Raggiana bird of paradise (Paradisaea raggiana) male displaying to female, Papua New Guinea, Varirata NP

Spotted owlet (Athene brama) pair on a branch, Bharatpur / Keoladeo Ghana National Park, India

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) stag bellowing during rut, at night with full moon, Derbyshire, UK

Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) male passing fish to female spring courtship behaviour, Hertfordshire, England, UK, March. Sequence 4 of 6

Guianan Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola), during courtship display, Guianan Shield, Suriname

Great frigatebird (Fregata minor) male displaying inflated gular sac, Galapagos, Ecuador

Male Carolas Parotia (Parotia carolae) bird of paradise displaying on his display court to five females perched above, Crater Mountain Wildlife Management Area, Eastern Highlands Province

Green-winged macaws (Ara chloroptera) preening each other. Brazil. South America

Mute swan (Cygnus olor) pair courting. Walthamstow reservoir, London, UK

Pastoral Subject, 18th century. Artist: Francois Boucher
Pastoral Subject, 18th century. From The Connoisseur Extra No. 4 - Boucher by Haldane Macfall [The Connoisseur Magazine, London, 1908.]

Courtship display of Streamer-tailed Tyrant (Gubernetes yetapa), Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil, South America

Courtship display of a couple of Masked Water-Tyrant (Fluvicola nengeta), Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil, South America

Courtship display of a couple of Streamer-tailed Tyrant (Gubernetes yetapa), Serra da Canastra National Park, Minas Gerais, Brazil, South America

A pair of adult red birds-of-paradise (Paradisaea rubra), in courtship display on Gam Island, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Asia

A male Argus Pheasant, or Great Argus, displaying his wing and tail feathers before a female, London Zoo
3435344 A male Argus Pheasant, or Great Argus, displaying his wing and tail feathers before a female, London Zoo, January 1926 (b/w photo) by Bond

The Good Pope: Time, 1836 (illustration)
7485453 The Good Pope: Time, 1836 (illustration) by Grandville (Jean Ignace Isidore Gerard) (1803-47); (add.info.: Le Bon Pape: Le Temps)

Woman disguised as a devil, ca 1900 (illustration)
7422825 Woman disguised as a devil, ca 1900 (illustration) by Pla Gallardo, Cecilio (1860-1934); (add.info.: Paranormal. Woman disguised as a devil)

Loves Message, c.1770-1959 (print)
3673654 Loves Message, c.1770-1959 (print) by White, Smith & Company (19th-early 20th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

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Courtship is a beautiful dance of love and attraction that transcends species boundaries. From the enchanting sight of a little owl pair perched on a branch, engaging in courtship behavior in Spain, to the mesmerizing blue-footed booby courting pair on the South coast of Santa Cruz Island, courtship displays are truly captivating. Even in remote places like Albatross Island in South Georgia, Antarctica, wandering albatrosses perform elaborate courtship displays that leave us awestruck. And who can resist the heartwarming image of red-crowned cranes with their necks intertwined, displaying their affectionate bond amidst snowy landscapes in Hokkaido, Japan? On Skomer Island in Wales, Atlantic puffins engage in bill rubbing as part of their courtship rituals. The gentle touch between two Northern gannets beak-to-beak greets each other on Heligoland island off Schleswig-Holstein's coast in Germany. In Bavaria's winter wonderland, an alpha male European wolf shows his affection towards the pack leader - the alpha female - reminding us that even wild creatures understand love and devotion. Meanwhile, brown hares engage in playful boxing matches during February mornings in Oxfordshire. The ancient Caledonian pine forests of Scotland witness capercaillie males and hens displaying their vibrant plumage and intricate dances during leks – nature's grandest stage for courtship. Whether it's witnessing red-crowned cranes performing elegant courtship displays at Kushiro Shitsugen National Park or simply admiring mute swans engaged in romantic behaviors against a backdrop of misty waters at dawn near Cleveland UK; these moments remind us that courtship is not just reserved for humans but is an integral part of life across our diverse planet.