A male Greater Sage Grouse calls out to attract females with his impressive breeding display on a snow-covered sagebrush lek in the Eastern Idaho plains. Lekking is a behavior seen in certain animal species where males gather in specific locations, known as leks, to attract females. Within these leks, males perform elaborate displays such as dances, calls, colorful displays, or fights to compete for a mate. The lek serves as a platform for males to showcase their genetic qualities and appeal to potential mates, with females selecting a mate based on their displays. Leks are not used for nesting or territorial purposes but rather as a stage for courtship and mate selection.
Lekking behavior is observed across various animal groups, including birds, insects, mammals, and fish. In birds, examples of lekking behavior include Greater Sage Grouse inflating sacs in their chests and creating popping sounds, Manakin birds performing intricate displays on branches, and male pheasants displaying bright plumage. Insects like fruit flies and moths also exhibit lekking behavior, while mammals such as topi antelopes and hammer-headed bats engage in lekking displays. Certain fish species build sand structures to impress mates in communal breeding grounds.
Lekking allows males to increase their mating opportunities while providing females with a chance to compare potential mates in one location. Females can be selective in their choice of a mate, while males focus their energy on standing out among competitors. Lekking behavior varies among species based on environmental pressures, with some leks featuring intense competition and others showing more cooperation. Overall, lekking behavior highlights genetic quality through ritualized displays.
Females use various cues to choose mates, including sound, motion, endurance, smell, and location. They observe males’ displays from a distance, such as the bubbling coos of female black grouses.
During the lekking period, females regularly return to assess the stamina, consistency, and territory of their male counterparts. At other times, females evaluate a male’s presentation limit. Ugandan kobs observe males who control central territories, keeping other contenders out from their small grassy plots. Male tenacity influences female choice, as they demonstrate the ability to maintain prime real estate, showcasing strength and resilience. These assessments impact the species’ evolution, ensuring more favorable qualities persist.
Benefits And Drawbacks Of Lekking
Pros:
– High visibility and convenience: Males gathering in leks make it easier to locate females, reducing time and energy spent searching for mates.
– Genetic quality and selection pressure: Typically, top-performing males are chosen, potentially improving the genetic health of future generations.
Cons:
– Skewed mating success and energy cost: Limited males acquiring most mating opportunities can reduce genetic diversity. Daily displays can be energetically costly and make males less fit for mating, increasing vulnerability to predation.
– Predation risk and disease transmission: Leks are easily noticed, attracting not only mates but also predators. Close proximity in leks raises the risk of parasite and infection spread.
Despite the tradeoffs, lekking continues due to the overall benefits outweighing the costs for individuals. The system establishes an efficient mating market where quality matters more than equality. In competitive courtship areas, females shape the future by directly selecting whose genes are passed on within a lek. Selection is guided by signals and instinctual decisions, with females holding the power of choice despite males’ elaborate displays.
