courtship, in animals, behaviour that results in mating and eventual reproduction. Courtship may be rather simple, involving a small number of chemical, visual, or auditory stimuli; or it may be a highly complex series of acts by two or more individuals, using several modes of communication.
Many creatures resort to courtship feeding to attract a mate. Females of some insect species, such as the spongy moth (Lymantria dispar), may use odorous substances called pheromones to attract males from a distance. Male painted turtles (Chrysemys species) court by touch, and the courtship songs of frogs (Rana species) are heard on spring nights across much of the world.
Complex courtship patterns are found in certain bird species. Boobies perform ritualized dances with many components, including whistling and an elaborate gesture known to ornithologists as sky-pointing. The more elaborate forms of courtship frequently help strengthen a pair bond that may last through the raising of the young or even longer. Another important function of courtship is its use as an isolating mechanism, a method of keeping different species from interbreeding. (See also display behaviour.)
Human courtship, although it springs from the same drives and is directed at the same goals, is so molded by cultural context that it is commonly thought of in terms of custom rather than instinct.