THE JOURNAL OF THE 



WILD BIRD INVESTIGATION SOCIETY. 



A FEW NOTES ON THE COURTING ANTICS OF SOME BRITISH BIRDS. 



iiv LEONORA JEFFBEY RINTOUL. 



^^^ \'I"- of the many joys which return- 

 ■'^Irt \ng spring brings to lovers of 

 f. Nature is the siglit of the won- 

 U derful nuptial flights and antics 

 C; of the birds. These appear to be 



common to all species in greater or lesser 

 degree, from the highly irritating feather 

 ruffling, wing trailing, shrill chirruping exhi- 

 bition of our common cock Sparrow to the 

 marvellous dances of Cranes and Sun-bitterns 

 wliich to most of the inhabitants of Great 

 Britain are practically unknown. Although 

 tlie birds in our islands may not be able to 

 show flights and dances like their brethren in 

 the tropics, yet there are many aspects of the 

 courting antics of even our commonest birds 

 whicli well repay investigation. To go no 

 furtlier than the Greenfinch, what could be 

 more charming than the wav in which he 

 flings himself into the air from the top of the 

 lighest tree he can find, and, circling roimd 

 lis peculiar slow, stiff flight (seen only 

 at this season), trills out his courting song to 

 liis a[)parentl\- indifferent lady-love. Another 

 common bird to wiiose courtships one looks 

 forward is tlie XN'oodpigeon ; not onl\- do the 

 woods resound with his musical Coo-coo coo- 

 coo-coo, but the sight of his dashing flight, 

 clap[)ing his wings from time to time over his 

 back, is one of wliich bird lovers dream. 



Of late years the .Stockdove has coine to our 

 part of Scotland in increasing numbers, and 

 it has interested me very much to note the 

 difference of habit in the two species. .\I1 the 

 books tell of the difference in size and plu- 

 mage, in their ncsiing sites and so on, but 



wit 



tile more subtle difterence of what might 

 almost be called manners and deportment 1 

 have not found described anywhere. The 

 Woodpigeon has a rapid and direct flight, at 

 all times, and when doing his courting dis- 

 plays he dashes straight up, high in the air, 

 claps his wings over his back at the highest 

 point, then skims rapidly on outstretched 

 wing, in undulating flight. The Stockdove, 

 on the other hand, has a slower, more vacil- 

 lating flight, and when doing his nuptial 

 antics flaps round and round wiiii slow and 

 heavv wing beats, this flight being strangely 

 reminiscent of that of the Owls. The Stock- 

 dove's wings always strike me as being much 

 more roinided than those of the Woodpigeon ; 

 he never, as far as I have seen, claps them 

 over his back, but he has an attractive habit 

 of alighting, after the flight I have so in- 

 adec|uatel\- described, on the bare branch of 

 an old lir tree, and remaining for a moment 

 or two witii wings stretched up over his back. 

 He does not dasii himself through the air 

 with the verve and abandon of his relative, 

 and is altogether slower and less impetuous 

 in his courtship. His note is different, being 

 a rather monotonous roo-roo . . . roo-roo, lack- 

 ing the ciiarm and wildness of the familiar 

 call of tile Woodpigeon. He has, however, 

 a fascination of his own, and I am glad to 

 see that he seems to have taken up his abode 

 with us for good. It is only of very recent 

 years that Stockdoves ha\e taken to nesting 

 in the holes of the elm and lime trees in the 

 parks rountl the house, formerh' I knew 

 liiem on]\ as inhabitants of the links, where 



[J.W.H.I.S., I'L-b., 19J1, vol. i, .No. 1.] 



