What is a bowerbirds mating method?
That’s a pretty good question. I’d go with that it’s just a display. Lekking implies that the males gather together in the same arena to display, whereas I’m certain bowerbirds don’t actually gather and directly compete. A female will visit several males during the mating season before choosing a mate, but as far as I’m aware, the males don’t congregate. That’s the important characteristic of a lek. So I’d say it’s just a very elaborate display. But of course, in nature these things aren’t labelled, they’re just names we’ve given them. So in your essay, I’d explain how it’s quite an interesting courtship mechanism! I hope that wasn’t too confusing!
