Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity

When a female Lovebird does consent to mate, nonreproductive REVERSE mounts may occur: as a part of courtship, males sometimes solicit females, who briefly mount them the way a male would. Other forms of nonprocreative sexual behavior also take place. Both Lovebirds and Galahs form pair-bonds as juveniles, long before they begin to reproduce—Galahs, in fact, may commence pairing and copulation up to three years before they can breed. In addition, some of the mating activity among younger Galahs involves birds mounting and thrusting against their partner’s head rather than the genital region. Among adults, at least 12 percent of all copulations occur well before fertilization is possible (four to five weeks prior to egg laying).

Other Species

Homosexual pairs occur in several Parrot species related to these, including Masked Lovebirds (Agapornis personata) and Red-faced Lovebirds (Agapornis pullaria), from Africa, and female Aztec Parakeets (Aratinga astec), from central America. Same-sex pairs (both male and female) have also been documented in numerous other species of Parrots (usually in captivity). Canary-winged Parakeets (Brotogeris versicolurus) and Rose-ringed Parakeets (Psittacula krameri) in homosexual pairs engage in frequent mutual preening and soft grasping and nibbling of each other’s beak. Female pairs of Elegant Parrots (Neophema elegans) from Australia courtship-feed and mount one another, as do male pairs of Senegal Parrots (Poicephalus senegalus) and White-fronted Amazon Parrots (Amazona albifrons). Male pairs have also been reported in Mealy Amazon Parrots (Amazona farinosa). Homosexual pairing is found as well in Ornate Lorikeets (Trichoglossus ornatus) and several other species of Lories from the islands of Southeast Asia, in which courtship-feeding and copulation are regular features of same-sex pairing. One male pair of Yellow-backed (Chattering) Lorikeets (Lorius garrulus flavopalliatus) remained together for more than 14 years.

Sources

*asterisked references discuss homosexuality/transgender

Arrowood, P. C. (1991) “Male-Male, Female-Female, and Male-Female Interactions Within Captive Canary-winged Parakeet Brotogeris v. versicolurus Flocks.” Acta XX Congressus Internationalis Ornithologici, Christchurch, New Zealand (Proceedings of the 20th International Ornithological Congress), vol. 2, pp. 666–72. Wellington, N.Z.: New Zealand Ornithological Trust Board.

*———(1988) “Duetting, Pair Bonding, and Agonistic Display in Parakeet Pairs.” Behavior 106:129–57.

*Buchanan, O. M. (1966) “Homosexual Behavior in Wild Orange-fronted Parakeets.” Condor 68:399–400.

*Callaghan, E. (1982) “Breeding the Senegal Parrot Poicephalus senegalus.” Avicultural Magazine 88:130–34.

*Clarke, P. (1982) “Breeding the Spectacled (White-fronted) Amazon Parrot Amazona albifrons nana.” Avicultural Magazine 88:71–74.

*Dilger, W. C. (1960) “The Comparative Ethology of the African Parrot Genus Agapornis.” Zeitschrift für Tierpsychologie 17:649–85.

^*Fischdick, G., V. Hahn, and K. Immelmann (1984) “Die Sozialisation beim Rosenkopfchen Agapornis roseicollis [Socialization in the Peach-faced Lovebird].” Journal für Ornithologie 125:307–19.

Forshaw, J. M. (1989) Parrots of the World. 3rd ed. London: Blandford Press.

*Goodwin, D. (1983) “Notes on Feral Rose-ringed Parakeets.” Avicultural Magazine 89:84–93.

*Hampe, H. (1940) “Beobachtungen bei Schmuck- und Feinsittichen, Neophema elegans und chrysostomus [Observations on Blue-winged and Elegant Parrots].” Journal für Ornithologie 88:587-99.

*Hardy, J. W. (1966) “Physical and Behavioral Factors in Sociality and Evolution of Certain Parrots (Aratinga).” Auk 83:66–83.

*———(1965) “Flock Social Behavior of the Orange-fronted Parakeet.” Condor 67:140–56.

*———(1963) “Epigamic and Reproductive Behavior of the Orange-fronted Parakeet.” Condor 65:169–99.

*Kavanau, J. L. (1987) Lovebirds, Cockatiels, Budgerigars: Behavior and Evolution. Los Angeles: Science Software Systems.

*Lack, D. (1940) “Courtship Feeding in Birds.” Auk 57:169–78.

*Lantermann, W. (1990) “Breeding the Mealy Amazon Parrot Amazona farinosa farinosa (Boddaert) at Oberhausen Ornithological Institute, West Germany.” Avicultural Magazine 96:126–29.