Pigeons Courting in Mexico

Above is a video that I took in Cozumel, Mexico during spring break of pigeons courting. At the very beginning over the video you can see a male pigeon courting a female around the tree. Pigeons exhibit a monogamous mating system, meaning that they generally come together and form a pair. A monogamous system is rare among animals but very common in birds. It requires cooperation to raise young and the two partners usually are known to stay together their whole lives. A monogamous mating system is the most similar to human's marriage system. The male pigeon courts a female and usually begins cooing (if you listen closely you can hear the cooing). Observing a male pigeon court a female is rather comical. Male birds are known to have a vast amount of behaviors and displays when courting. Some of these include things such as fanning their tails, entwining necks, singing, kissing, and dancing around the female to what looks like chasing them. Courtship is important in ecology because it helps assure that breeding will occur. In order for a species to survive, the organisms within the species must successfully reproduce. Most birds, such as these pigeons, exhibit inter sexual selection when looking for a mate.

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