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Hi All,
Lorne was wondering about the Drongo's dong...
seems it probably doesn't have one Lorne. I don't know about your
Boobook's, but the following may be of interest:
"The process of mating in most birds involves a
brief touching of the cloacas of the mating pair. This has been called for
many years the "cloacal kiss". The process is brought about by the male
standing on the tail of the female. The entire process is completed in a few
seconds.
"A few birds have an erectile intromittent organ.
This special structure is found in tinamous, most waterfowl, storks, and
ostriches. It is not clear why these few birds possess such an organ, but
in waterfowl it may make copulation easier and more effective for sperm
deposition underwater."
From Birds and their Young, Courtship,
Nesting, Hatching, Fledging - The Reproductive Cycle, by Gordon A Alcorn,
Emeritus Professor of Biology, University of Puget Sound. Published by Stackpole
Books, 1991
ISBN 0-8117-1016-5
(Remembering, of course, that the only thing
certain in birdwatching is that nothing's certain!)
Judie Peet
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