As spring migration wraps up, we are seeing birds quickly shifting into their breeding season, and some really entertaining behaviors come with that. From elaborate songs to complex courtship rituals, birds offer endless entertainment to those willing to take the time to watch. Peter Brown of Auburn was one of those interested inspectors who noticed that backyard blue jays were feeding each other. So it is time to learn all about allofeeding!

We’ll start with the broad term: allofeeding is any sharing of food between two individuals. The root “allo-” comes from Greek, meaning “other,” so you can think of it as “feeding from another.” A more specific type of allofeeding is courtship feeding, typically done by birds to strengthen pair bonds or as a pre-copulatory ritual. 

Blue jays, like those Peter observed, have many elaborate displays they do as part of their pair forming. They form long-term socially monogamous relationships, and you don’t even need to anthropomorphize them too much to know it takes a number of dances and meals to maintain. It is pretty common for males to feed females prior to nesting, which is a good way to show your mate you are good at finding food, and also provides a health benefit to the female as she doesn’t need to invest as much energy into foraging. To elaborate on their courtship, I have to quote this summary of Rossane Gutkin’s masters thesis on reproductive behavior of blue jays. Gutkin says “male often seems nonchalant during female display, but occasionally male may initiate the interaction by sidling toward female and nudging her, then moving to other side and nudging again.” Along with the nudging, pairs will feed or pass sticks, and they are also known to do this motion with beaks empty, best described as “kissing.” 

Northern cardinals are another common backyard bird you’ll see doing courtship feedings, but one of my favorite species to watch for at this time of year is cedar waxwings. First of all, they are stunning in their silky-smooth buffy-yellow plumage with the dark mask and long crest. Plus you often see them in large groups in early summer, as they begin pairing up and before they take off on their own. Last week, we saw flocks of 300-plus swirling together at Monhegan Island during a trip for the Acadia Birding Festival. 

The real entertainment comes when you get a pair in a fruit tree, and see “courtship-hopping.” This takes dinner and dance to a whole new level. A pair will pass an item back and forth, often food (like fruit) or a flower petal, and usually hop away from their mate, then come back to pass it back. This is initiated by the male bringing in the food, and ends when the female eats it. 

While some species are forming pairs with courtship feeding, make sure you look closely, because there are already some baby birds fledging and being fed by their parents. Early nesters like eastern bluebirds are already beginning their second brood of the year. Those wrapping up their first attempt are likely to be seen feeding their speckled chicks that will still be begging for food, since they usually don’t start foraging for themselves for 10-16 days after fledging. 

The nesting season is a wonderful time to slow down and watch individual birds. Identifying a species is great, but now is when you should watch that individual forage. Watch for the prey items it collects — probably a lot of caterpillars it is picking off from a native plant. Does the bird eat the larva itself or does it carry it off? Typically, the only reason an adult song bird is going to carry food is to go feed young somewhere, otherwise it would be a waste of energy. This is one of my favorite things to do throughout the summer, so join us on a bird walk at Gilsland Farm Audubon Center in Falmouth one of these Thursdays to see our nesting birds at work.

Have you got a nature or wildlife question? It doesn’t have to be about birds! Email questions to [email protected] and visit www.maineaudubon.org to learn more about birding, native plants, and programs and events focusing on Maine wildlife and habitat. Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox and other naturalists lead free bird walks on Thursday mornings starting at 8 am, at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Audubon Sanctuary in Falmouth.