Finding territory, crouching on the surface of the water, finding targets flying up, looking at each other, dancing and courting, exchanging keepsakes, hand in hand, choosing a nest... Recently, the Panther Wildlife Conservation Station monitored water birds in the area of the Juma River in Fangshan, and the station manager Li Li recorded the whole process of courtship of crested ibises (pì) and tī with the lens.
Find territory
In the first photo, a male crested ibis, well fed and drunk, swims in front of a swarm of reeds, looking for a territory of its own, and when it finds it, it will hold it. So, in the second photo, the crested ibis, curled up motionless, resting in the water in front of the reeds.
Crouch
"The crested is a summer migratory bird and has arrived in Beijing. In Beijing's major parks, as long as the water is relatively wide and there are reeds, there will be crests. Summer migratory birds began courtship after arriving in Beijing, which is their breeding ground. Li Li introduced, "We have been monitoring them and filmed a very interesting courtship process." ”
Flying
In the third photo, a female bird appears in front of her, and the male swims out of the reeds and gallops in the direction of the female. "He was afraid that the female bird would be found and snatched away by other male birds, so he pounced on the enclave with running." Li Li said with a smile. In the fourth photo, the two birds meet, greet each other, and then circle each other, look at each other and admire each other to see if the other is their own dish.
Appreciate each other
In the fifth picture, the female bird is admiring the male bird, and the male bird is trying to show his most beautiful side to the female bird, and he is happy and opens his mouth to make a chirp.
chirping
In the sixth picture, the two birds hit each other, and in order to show their sincerity, they both dived into the water and took out some aquatic weeds from the bottom of the water, as a keepsake, and gave them to each other.
Exchange of gifts
"If both sides look at it and both hold the keepsake, the excitement comes up and they start treading water." The crest is half-webbed, unlike ducks whose fins are fully connected. When they tread water, they shake their heads like water ballet dancers. As if to say, I like you, I like you! Li Li introduced that there are two crown feathers on the head of the crested head, and there are also very beautiful feathers on the neck, and when you shake your head, the hair will move, which looks very beautiful. With shaking his head and treading water, the courtship dance entered a climax.
Almost finished jumping, the female followed the male home. In the seventh photo, on the wide water, a couple returns home hand in hand.
Hand in hand
"After returning to the territory of the male bird, you have to find a place to nest, and you have to find a place for the female bird to look at." Li Li said. Crested crests like to use floating nests, floating on the surface of the water, fluctuating with the water. In order to prevent drifting, it is necessary to find a few reeds that grow relatively well as a fix, and then start to find branches and reeds nearby to build a nest.
In the eighth photo, a couple begins to build a marriage house.
nest
"Crested crests are more and more in Beijing's waters, and when citizens see birds that shake their heads and tread water, they are crested crests." Li Li said. In the summer, after the birds break out of their shells, they will stand on the backs of their parents and follow them to forage for food. Sometimes carrying three or four, sometimes carrying four or five, it looks particularly beautiful.
Crested courtship, some two or three days can be achieved, some can be achieved one day, and the photo of the pair half a day "flash marriage". "Humans have a human aesthetic, and wild animals have a wild animal aesthetic. We should not disturb each other, respect each other, keep a safe distance, and live in symbiosis with nature. Li Li said.
Source: Beijing Daily client | reporter Yu Lishuang
Editor: Yang Meng
Process Editor: Dan Guo