Author: J.K. Ullrich, Bird TLC volunteer
If you lavish someone special with candy, bouquets, or shiny objects this Valentine’s Day, you’re courting like a bird. Bird species around the world woo their intended with treats, present prospective mates with flower petals, and even bring their partners pebbles to help build a nest (more like giving your true love a brick than jewelry). Alaska’s chilly climate doesn’t cool this avian ardor. Our native lovebirds win their valentines in some extraordinary ways.
The Dancers: Sandhill Cranes
Photo courtesy of Paul Arneson
Springtime turns Alaskan marshes into ballrooms for cranes who perform a famous pas de deux. The male and female exchange bows, then perform a sequence of moves. Leaps. Struts. Bobs. Aerial pirouettes with long legs dangling. The cranes might toss tufts of grass into the air, frolicking with their six-foot wingspan extended. Although dancing is often associated with courtship, it can occur year-round: once a pair starts a dance, the entire flock may join in!
Dance moves aren’t the only measure of a partner’s appeal. While humans may fret about baldness, sandhill cranes find it an attractive trait. Their distinctive red caps aren’t feathers, but a patch of bare skin that recedes as they age. A bigger bald spot indicates the bird has survived multiple migrations, telegraphing experience and good health to potential mates.
The Troubadours: Great Horned Owls
Photo courtesy of J. Hunter Photography
Not all Alaskan birds need to strut and sway: music alone is enough to get them in the mood. A basso croon late at night might not be Barry White, but a Great Horned Owl. Nesting earlier than any other North American owl species, their courtship begins in autumn, often with a duet. According to Audubon, “the female usually hoots first, and the male replies at a lower pitch.” Females are about a third bigger in body size, but males have larger voice boxes. Listen carefully to distinguish their parts in the song.
Great Horned Owls usually pick their mates by December and begin nest-hunting in January. Notoriously unfussy homeowners, they have been observed nesting in tree cavities, abandoned buildings, and old eagle nests. When the owlets have fledged and winter comes again, the same ballads ring through the frosty woods. Even though most Great Horned Owl pairs mate for life, they engage in courtship behavior each year to reinforce their bond and establish their territory.
The Showoffs: Grouses
Several species of grouse call Alaska home, and these gaudy Galliformes attract mates with elaborate performances. Sharp-tailed Grouse gather at open display areas called leks. Up to 20 males may occupy this love arena at once, competing in the avian equivalent of speed dating. They spread their wings, rattle their tails, and and execute fancy footwork. Violet throat sacs inflate to coo and gobble at their female audience, showing off their best features.
The Ruffed Grouse prefers a solo act. With a stump or log as his stage, he fans his wings to compress the air, making a ‘thump’ sound. He accelerates until the noise becomes a drumroll that carries up to a quarter mile. Ornithologist Arthur Cleveland Bent described this sound as "the throbbing heart of awakening spring.” It’s a loud advertisement to females in the neighborhood, and also warns other males away from his territory, which can extend to ten acres.
Show birds some love with a wildlife-friendlier Valentine’s Day:
People exchange an estimated 180 million cards on Valentine’s Day, and most end up in landfills. Recycle cards—even better, choose cards with recycled paper—to preserve trees for birds.
February is too cold to grow roses in most of North America, so many iconic red roses come from South America in refrigerated trucks that use 25% more fuel than regular trucks. Rather than accelerate the greenhouse gas emissions that threaten bird habitats, consider giving a houseplant or potted herb.
Cacao cultivation often involves deforestation and pesticides that harm wildlife. Avoid chocolate with rainforest-destroying palm oil, and use reputable resources like the Chocolate Scorecard to choose sustainable candy products.