The above image shows a pair of Asian Koels (Eudynamys scolopacea) – the male on the right, feeding the female with a fruit. This is a typical ritual known as courtship feeding.
Erritzoe et al. (2007) define courtship feeding thus: “Feeding of the female by the male in a mated pair of birds during the pre-laying and laying periods (sometimes even later during the breeding cycle). Such feeding “may significantly add to the nutrition of the female during egg formation.”
Courtship feeding is seen in a large number of bird species, among which are hornbill, bronze cuckoo, kingfisher, barbet, bee-eater, munia, dove, cuckoo and whydar.
Nikhil Paul
Kolkata, India
27th April 2016
Reference:
Erritzoe, J., K. Kampp, K. Winker & C. B. Frith, 2007. The ornithologist’s dictionary. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. 290 pp.
This post is a cooperative effort between Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia and BESG to bring the study of birds and their behavior through photography and videography to a wider audience.