|
|
Post by NellyDee on Mar 23, 2017 16:10:24 GMT
Sitting watching the chaffinch around the feeder I noticed that the females feeding the males. The males would get on a perch beneath a female and she would take a seed and pop it in his mouth - do they normally do this? The males are not fledglings (well I don't think so, far too big with their full colours)  Chaffinch by Helen Skelton, on Flickr |
|
|
|
Post by aeshna5 on Mar 23, 2017 19:27:46 GMT
All the birds in your photo seem to be males. The upper bird may be a first year bird as the colours are more subdued.
|
|
|
|
Post by Harold Smith on Mar 23, 2017 19:28:40 GMT
I believe this is part of courtship behaviour. Though in many cases of bird courtship it is the male who usually gives food to the female.
The other day I was at WWT Slimbridge and observed a Black-Headed Gull passing food to another Black-Headed Gull. Which one was the male or female I have no idea.
There are always exception to the rule.
Harold.
|
|
|
|
Post by accipiter on Mar 23, 2017 20:20:22 GMT
I would say this “type of behaviour” is connected to pair bonding in which the female gradually becomes more and more dominate during the breeding season starting in early string. But in this particular case I believe it is connected to hierarchy in which the sub dominate male is feeding the dominate male. Paired male birds also become sub dominate during this time merely following the female around playing no part in nest building whatsoever. Although having said that there is often exceptions to bird behavior has I have observed before. Outside of the breeding period the roles are reversed in which the males become dominate once again. Although he is sub dominant during the breeding season he remains territorial to the point of attacking his own reflection in windows in the belief there is another male chaffinch in his territory. The Pied Wagtail also being highly territorial will also indulge in this behaviour whilst the “highly aggressive blue tit” will also attack other bird species during territorial disputes. I am not sure if this link will work or not Helen in which case, Google Chaffinch: the ‘bachelor’ bird) where there is a lot more general information www.bto.org/sites/default/files/shared_documents/gbw/associated_files/bird-table-62-2010-chaffinch-article.pdfAlan |
|
|
|
Post by rowanberry on Mar 23, 2017 21:37:13 GMT
Last year I saw our jays feeding each other... I also heard that it's bonding behaviour at this time of the year.
What a lovely bunch of chaffinches you have! That's a bird we never get here.
|
|
|
|
Post by NellyDee on Mar 24, 2017 11:39:09 GMT
Thanks Alan Nice link. I was making assumptions think all the 'brown ones were female' Any females here will have a huge amount of males to chose from, taking a closer look there are very few females. even the 'brown' ones have yellow in their tails. Maybe 1 in 10 ratio. These are just a few below one of the feeders  Chaffinch beneath feeder by Helen Skelton, on Flickr |
|
