Courtship Collection (#11)

Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) male displaying. Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, September

Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) pair of adults during part of their elaborate courtship ritual during the very last few rays of evening sunlight, Derbyshire, UK, March

Black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) two males displaying and fighting at lek, Cairngorms NP, Grampian, Scotland, UK, April

Rear view of Black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) male displaying at lek, Cairngorms National Park, Grampian, Scotland, UK, April

Black grouse (Tetrao tetrix) male displaying at lek, Cairngorms National Park, Grampian, Scotland, UK, April

RF- Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) male displaying, Inshriach, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK. February

Whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) pair on loch in heart shape, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, November

Fallow deer (Dama dama) buck bellowing at dawn during the rut, Cheshire, UK, October

Satellite male Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) in full display at the lek. Varanger, Finmark, Norway, May

Lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) male flying past during courtship with Mole cricket in its talons. Extremadura, Spain

Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) adult male pursuing female, Derbyshire, UK, February

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) stag bellowing during rut, Derbyshire, UK

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) male displaying on a lek in snow, Sublette County, Wyoming, USA. April

Rock beauty angelfish (Holacanthus tricolor) pair at dusk performing their courtship dance with the larger male circling the female, Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies

Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus) male calling and performing courtship / territorial display in cattail marsh, Mono Lake Basin, California, USA

Two Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) touching noses in greeting display, Serengeti NP, Tanzania, East Africa, January

Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) in winter morning mist, showing aggression during courtship behaviour, Mississippi River, Minnesota, USA, February

Goldies Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea decora) male displaying to female at lek, Fergusson Island, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea. Near-threatened

Mating pair of King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) on Gold Beach, South Georgia Island, Sub Antarctica

Gannet (Morus bassanus) breeding pair during part of their elaborate courtship ritual. Saltee Islands, Republic of Ireland, May

Waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata) courting pair mutually grooming. Punta Cevallos, Espanola (Hood) Island, Galapagos, Ecuador, May

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) male displaying, Varanger, Norway, May

Dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) courting pair leaping from the sea, Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand, January

Detail of feathers of Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus), Zamecky Park of Blatna Castle, Blatna, Strakonice District, South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic

Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) displaying its feathers in Zamecky Park of Blatna Castle, Blatna, Strakonice District, South Bohemian Region, Czech Republic

Great crested grebe pair at courtship (Podiceps cristatus) near Sipplingen on Lake Constance, Bavaria, Germany

Red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) adult pair walking in snow, Hokkaido, Japan

Red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) courtship display with dancing and jumping, Hokkaido, Japan

The Good Pope: Time, 1836 (illustration)
7485453 The Good Pope: Time, 1836 (illustration) by Grandville (Jean Ignace Isidore Gerard) (1803-47); (add.info.: Le Bon Pape: Le Temps)

Woman disguised as a devil, ca 1900 (illustration)
7422825 Woman disguised as a devil, ca 1900 (illustration) by Pla Gallardo, Cecilio (1860-1934); (add.info.: Paranormal. Woman disguised as a devil)

Loves Message, c.1770-1959 (print)
3673654 Loves Message, c.1770-1959 (print) by White, Smith & Company (19th-early 20th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

Theres Lots of Stations On My Railroad Track, c.1770-1959 (print)
3673180 Theres Lots of Stations On My Railroad Track, c.1770-1959 (print) by Leo Feist, Inc. (1897-1934); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

The mermaid, 1866 (engraving)
7147160 The mermaid, 1866 (engraving) by Bayard, Emile Antoine (1837-91); Private Collection; (add.info.: The mermaid, by french poet Beranger ( 1780-1857 ) Design by Emile Bayard 1866

The French Comedy (engraving)
3774527 The French Comedy (engraving) by Watteau, Francois Louis Joseph (1758-1823) (after); (add.info.: L'Amour au theatre francais'-a shepherd and shepherdess dancing in a park)

Fetching Water From The Well, c.1770-1959 (print)
3673824 Fetching Water From The Well, c.1770-1959 (print) by Firth, Pond & Co. (19th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

The old bachelor, 1836 (illustration)
7485443 The old bachelor, 1836 (illustration) by Grandville (Jean Ignace Isidore Gerard) (1803-47); (add.info.: The old bachelor)

Who Are You With To-Night?, c.1770-1959 (print)
3673081 Who Are You With To-Night?, c.1770-1959 (print) by Jerome H. Remick & Co. (early 20th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

Oh Say! Can I See You To-Night, c.1770-1959 (print)
3673047 Oh Say! Can I See You To-Night, c.1770-1959 (print) by Jerome H. Remick & Co. (early 20th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

The Great Lover, c.1770-1959 (print)
3673143 The Great Lover, c.1770-1959 (print) by Leo Feist, Inc. (1897-1934); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois, USA; (add.info)

That Aeroplane Rag, c.1770-1959 (print)
3672774 That Aeroplane Rag, c.1770-1959 (print) by Jerome H. Remick & Co. (early 20th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

Maybe (She'll Write Me, - She'll Phone ME), c.1770-1959 (print)
3673036 Maybe (She'll Write Me, - She'll Phone ME), c.1770-1959 (print) by Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co. (early 20th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

Keep Away From the Fellow Who Owns An Automobile, 1912 (print)
3672557 Keep Away From the Fellow Who Owns An Automobile, 1912 (print) by Waterson, Berlin & Snyder Co. (early 20th century); Newberry Library, Chicago, Illinois

The Picnic (w/c on paper)
XYC239817 The Picnic (w/c on paper) by Rowlandson, Thomas (1756-1827); Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, USA

The Cathedral (plaster)
PWI83664 The Cathedral (plaster) by Rodin, Auguste (1840-1917); Musee Rodin, Paris, France; (add.info.: By Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)); © Peter Willi

The Same Old Yarn, 1918 (watercolour, gouache and pencil on board)
823237 The Same Old Yarn, 1918 (watercolour, gouache and pencil on board) by Christy, Howard Chandler (1873-1952); 88.9x64.1 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: The Same Old Yarn)

Courtship
Massimo Felici

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae australis) courtship, with the female above showing her abdomen and the male below. Vava'u, Tonga. Pacific Ocean

Two Great egrets (Ardea alba) standing opposite each other with Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) in between. Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary, January

For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

Courtship is a beautiful dance of love and attraction that transcends species boundaries. From the enchanting sight of a little owl pair perched on a branch, engaging in courtship behavior in Spain, to the mesmerizing blue-footed booby courting pair on the South coast of Santa Cruz Island, courtship displays are truly captivating. Even in remote places like Albatross Island in South Georgia, Antarctica, wandering albatrosses perform elaborate courtship displays that leave us awestruck. And who can resist the heartwarming image of red-crowned cranes with their necks intertwined, displaying their affectionate bond amidst snowy landscapes in Hokkaido, Japan? On Skomer Island in Wales, Atlantic puffins engage in bill rubbing as part of their courtship rituals. The gentle touch between two Northern gannets beak-to-beak greets each other on Heligoland island off Schleswig-Holstein's coast in Germany. In Bavaria's winter wonderland, an alpha male European wolf shows his affection towards the pack leader - the alpha female - reminding us that even wild creatures understand love and devotion. Meanwhile, brown hares engage in playful boxing matches during February mornings in Oxfordshire. The ancient Caledonian pine forests of Scotland witness capercaillie males and hens displaying their vibrant plumage and intricate dances during leks – nature's grandest stage for courtship. Whether it's witnessing red-crowned cranes performing elegant courtship displays at Kushiro Shitsugen National Park or simply admiring mute swans engaged in romantic behaviors against a backdrop of misty waters at dawn near Cleveland UK; these moments remind us that courtship is not just reserved for humans but is an integral part of life across our diverse planet.