One of the following is a courtship behaviour in animals

Analyze the question: We need the behaviour that is part of courtship, the activities animals perform to attract and win a mate before mating.

Explain the concept: Courtship behaviour helps an animal:

• attract a mate of the same species,
• show it is healthy and fit,
• signal readiness to mate.

Common examples include:

• Peacocks spreading their colourful tail feathers
• Male birds singing or dancing
• Male frogs croaking
• Fireflies flashing light signals
• Male lizards (like the agama) doing head-bobbing or push-up displays

All of these are called displays.

Step-by-step solution:

• A. Fighting: This is aggressive (agonistic) behaviour. It is mostly used to defend territory or compete with rivals. Males may fight over a female, but fighting is not itself courtship.
• B. Display: This is the correct option. Visual, vocal, or movement displays attract the opposite sex.
• C. Hibernation: This is a state of inactivity during cold periods to conserve energy. It has nothing to do with mating.
• D. Feeding: This is for nutrition. Some animals offer food as a courtship gift, but feeding itself is not courtship.

Answer: B. display.

Exam tip: Link keywords to behaviours:

• Courtship → display, song, dance, colour
• Aggression → fighting, threat
• Hibernation/aestivation → surviving harsh seasons