The Life of Birds -' Finding Partners'

This episode of the BBC series THE LIFE OF BIRDS treats the mating behaviour of birds. David Attenborough introduces the spectator to the most divergent bird species, from the hummingbird to the ostrich. Attenborough’s familiar voice accompanies the images of courtship and mating. Macho males contend for females, offering them fruit and flowers. Next, they dance and hug, and even kiss, more or less. Most birds are monogamous - at least in the breeding season - but Attenborough, with typical English irony, discusses many instances where birds do ‘sleep around’. Conversely, some bird species practice polygamy. There are even species that, for obscure reasons, have turned around the typical division of roles between male and female. As always, Attenborough approaches the animals very closely - in one case, he collides with a quick-tempered pheasant and gets the worst of it.