The function of the female’s sky-dancing in the Montagu’s Harrier in natural habitats of Eastern Poland. - J.Wiącek. - Berkut. 16 (2). 2007. - P. 244-249.
Most of authors describing courtship behaviour in birds concentrate on the male behaviour. In opposite to majority of ornithological literature, this study focus on the female courtship behaviour observed in the Montagu’s Harrier population breeding in the natural habitat of eastern Poland. This paper is an examination of the meaning and behavioural context of the female’s sky-dancing. Female displays in the time of courtship can stimulate males to more intensive food provisioning and support their pair bonds. Despite this situation when male is present in the territory, female’s sky-dancing can be a proposition for other males as possibility obtaining of extra food for extra-pair copulations when male is absent. Sky-dancing may also be a non aggressive displays to territorial behaviour against to other female from neighborhood. [English].
Key words: Poland, Montagu’s Harrier, Circus pygargus, reproductive behaviour, display, sky-dancing.
Address: J. Wiącek, Dept. of Nature Conservation, Curie-Skłodowska University, Akademicka 19 Street, 20-033 Lublin, Poland; e-mail: wiacek@hektor.umcs.lublin.pl.