Lek | Mating Rituals, Courtship Displays & Aggression | Britannica (original) (raw)

lek Lek behaviour in three great-tailed grackles (Cassidix mexicanus).

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Also known as: court, dancing ground, display ground

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

lek, in animal behaviour, communal area in which two or more males of a species perform courtship displays. Lek behaviour, also called arena behaviour, is found in a number of insects, birds, and mammals. Varying degrees of interaction occur between the males, from virtually none to closely cooperative dancing. Females visit the lek briefly to select mates and to copulate, but they do not form lasting pair bonds with the males.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.