With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we wanted to share
some of the more fascinating shows species put on to attract a
mate. These colorful, noisy rituals can be seen firsthand at
many national wildlife refuges. Take the male Attwater’s praire
chicken. He’ll dance a jig and make a “booming” sound by filling
orange air sacks on the sides of his neck. The spectacle can be
seen in March and April at Attwater Prairie Chicken National
Wildlife Refuge, which has its annual festival April 14-15. To
the north, you can find the American woodcock, whose night “sky
dance” can be seen in places like Missisquoi National Wildlife
Refuge in Vermont, or Trustom Pond National Wildlife Refuge in
Rhode Island. The dance, which renowned author and
conservationist Aldo Leopold loved, begins with a series of
sharp “peent” sounds, until the bird suddenly flies up,
twittering, in a widening spiral, floats briefly, and dives
zigzag back to earth. Or how about the grey tree frog that
inflates its vocal pouch to balloon-like pr