Sharing is Loving 1
by Linda Brody
Title
Sharing is Loving 1
Artist
Linda Brody
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Two Mourning Doves sharing/loving. Note their eyes are closed. Shot in the late afternoon.
This is part of the mating ritual, referred to as Billing.
Preening around the bill will soon become "billing" where the two doves nibble each other's bill. The male will open his bill for the female to mimic the feeding ritual. He will raise his head and neck up and down a few times to regurgitate a small amount of food from his crop which the females will partake during the "billing" ritual as she inserts her bill into the males mouth, sometimes, very deeply and aggressively while wobbling her wings like a baby bird, which she will do each time she wants the male to allow her to partake food from his mouth. This is a very personal and sensual ritual for the doves. If the female is close to egg gestation, she will become very aggressive in her advances and billing. During the normal billing, it is common for both doves to pause to preen their feathers. In this way, they are preparing the feathers for the mating. If the vent or tail feathers clump or get in the way, the mating will be unsuccessful. The wing feathers must not have any problems while the male is fluttering his wings to maintain his balance. When the female is ready, she will crouch down low and flatten her body to allow the male to mount. He may stop to preen just before mounting her.
This photograph has been featured in the following Groups:
2nd PLACE - ANIMALS LOVE IS IN THE AIR - April 2019
Visions of Spring/Glances of Summer
10+
The Road to Self Promotion
FAA Bird Portraits
Nikon Full Frame Cameras
Images that Excite
Arts Fantastic World
Woman Photographers
Poetic Poultry
A Birding Group - Wings
Kingdom Anamalia
Your Very Best Photograph
Wild Birds of the World
500 Views 1 A Day
Southern California Artists Collective
Wonder of Wings
Lady Photographers and Artists
Some of my artwork appears on products sold at Zazzle. Check out the following website: http://www.zazzle.com/linda116.
If you like my art, please take a moment to "like" and/or comment. I would be most appreciative if you would share on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, etc. This will help promote my art online and enable it to be found by others on internet searches. Thank you so much.
#sharing, #loving, #love birds, #kissing, #mourning doves, #doves, #two doves, #doves sharing, #mating, #lovebirds, #inlove,
Uploaded
February 10th, 2017
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Viewed 1,046 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 03/24/2024 at 1:35 AM
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Comments (72)
Anthony Jones
Beautiful work! Thank you for submitting your artwork to the Southern California Artist Collective Group where the image is now featured on the home page. Feel free to post this in the Featured archive in the group discussion page section L/F
William Tasker
A very sweet and beautiful image. Thank you for submitting this fine shot and correctly named bird to Wild Birds Of The World - A Nature Photography Group, where it is now featured on the home page. L/F
Miroslava Jurcik
Congratulations, your gorgeous work has been chosen for Special feature gallery in Kingdom Animalia , you now welcome to add your work there under discussion tab !! l/f
Don Columbus
Congratulations Ruth, your work is Featured in "A Birding Group - Wings" I invite you to place it in the group's "2019 Featured Image Archive" Discussion!! L/Tweet
Anita Faye
Linda, happy to feature your beautiful work on Poetic Poultry 4/30/19! https://fineartamerica.com/groups/poetic-poultry-.html