(place) by junkpile Sat Jul 14 2001 at 19:56:00

Lek, n. Where boy birds display their flava for the ladies.

Some birds' courtship rituals are one-on-one. The mockingbird prefers the direct approach, choosing one female and dancing just for her, face to face. Many birds would rather increase the odds of getting some featherplay by pooling their resources. During mating season, the males of a species will gather in one communal area and commence to singing, strutting, preening, beating each other up, and generally showing off for the girls. Each defends a small display territory of his own. The more dominant males usually dance toward the center of the area, and the wallflowers hang back.

Depending on the species, the lek may be a clearing or an area thick with foliage. It is usually quite small. The lek is not used for feeding, nor for the actual mating. Once a pair is decided, the birds retreat to a more private area for their mutual satisfaction.

In a lek mating system, no permanent pair bonds are formed, and no paternal care will be given to the resulting offspring. Often, after mating, the male goes right back to the lek for a little more.

"Lek" is also used as a verb, as, "The sage grouse leks in display."


thanks to:
http://www.nhm.org/birds/guide/page050.html
http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Birds/MMMN/English/glossary_data.html
http://www.zoo.ufl.edu/be/pages/glossI_L.html

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