Be My Baby

Let’s Sway to the Rhythm

The large albatross is a seabird that loves to do the swaying dance. The dance begins when a female and male albatross see each other. They spread their wings and point their beaks to the sky. Then they begin to sway back and forth which helps them to find their perfect match, and with the dance they form a strong bond that lasts a whole lifetime.

Do That Happy Dance

With their blue suede shoes, or rather blue feet, blue-footed boobies enjoy doing a funny dance. The males walk about, lifting their feet up high with each step they take, making sure their intended sees their impressive blue feet. The bluer the feet, the more you can tell that the male booby is healthy and strong. As they dance, they spread their wings and whistle probably a happy tune. Then give their intended a gift such as a rock or stick. If the female booby likes what she sees, she’ll join the male in a dance. To signal that they are now on one wavelength, they point their beaks to the sky and make loud honking noises.

Artistic Creativity

Bowerbirds ad artistic creativity to their mating rituals. They’ll gather colorful objects such as flowers and berries and might include man-made objects it they can find them. Then they build avenue-like structures with two walls of sticks and will also arrange large leaves with the pale side up to create a striking green carpet. Then to make sure their intended will be impressed, bowerbirds sing, dance, and show off their creations, and hopefully the female will be impressed.

Make Those Funky Moves

Flamingos are just amazing to see all in bright pink, but they also know how to make some really funky moves. It is a real head-flagging dance, and imagine a tall flamingo suddenly stretching their neck straight and starting to swing their heads back and forth. The dance is done to attract a mate, and the brighter a flamingo’s feather, the more likely he’ll attract a mate, so let the dance party begin.

The Kakapo Lek System

Would you believe a nightclub for kakapos, the flightless parrots of New Zealand? When it comes to finding mates, the chubby green birds gather together in special spots known as leks. Male kakapos dig bowl-shaped holes and start making loud booming noises to get a female’s attention. They go all out puffing up their chests and booming all night long. Meanwhile, the females check out the males and choose their favorite.

Do the Long-tailed Dance

Manakin birds are small forest birds from South America, and they have a show to put on to attract mates. The male birds perform elaborate dances on special stages called leks. These long-tailed manakins have some impressive moves. Two male birds team up to dance for females. The birds hop and flutter in perfect sync, and their vibrant colors flash as they leap and twirl. To accompany their foot moves, they do rapid wing flaps that make snapping sounds. This amazing dancing can go on for hours as the female watches, and in the end she picks the best dancer as her mate. Couldn’t you just imagine them on the disco floor?

Mating the Penguin Way

Penguins like the gentoo have found a romantic way to find a mate. They offer smooth pebbles to their intended. The male penguin, all dapper in his tuxedo, walks the beach to find the perfect pebble. Then with great flourish, he presents it to his intended. If she accepts, it is a match made in heaven, and the pebble will help in building the nest. However, there are always other penguins looking to be pebble thieves, so it is a dicey situation.