Love is in the Air: Courting Dance of a Blue Crane

This ground-dwelling bird, known as the national bird of South Africa, can be very aggressive to various other animals, even humans who approach their nest too closely. At the same time, they’re terrific dancers, demonstrating their skills during the courting period which normally takes place as of October. Potential partners will run in circles together, with males engaging in an energetic yet graceful dance. You’ll see them stretching wings, pumping their heads, bowing, flinging different objects in the air and leaping up. When the girl has been sufficiently impressed, the two will pick each other and start dancing in a similar manner together. Two weeks later, mating starts. These birds mate for life and will stick around their partner year-round.