Lamin’s Field Notes from Kotu Bridge
During mid-August 2026, the landscape around Kotu Bridge is lush and green. This is an especially active period for many local birds, with Pin-tailed Whydahs and several weaver species displaying their vivid breeding plumage.
This week, Lamin Jobaate observed a male Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu carrying nesting material. While holding the material, the bird adopted an upright display posture with its head and bill pointing skyward.
Two additional males were present nearby. The displaying male appeared to have noticeably stronger blue colouring across its chest and flanks than the other two birds. It was also more active and displayed more frequently.
Carrying nesting material can form part of courtship behaviour in Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus. It may allow a male to demonstrate both his interest in breeding and his ability to contribute to nest building.
The combination of brighter blue plumage, nesting material and an energetic display raises an interesting question: could females favour males that produce the strongest visual and behavioural signals?
A single observation cannot establish that the brighter male was healthier or more attractive to females. Differences in colour can also be affected by age, feather condition, lighting or the stage of the breeding cycle. Nevertheless, it was fascinating to watch what may have been sexual selection taking place: several males were present, but one bird produced a particularly strong combination of colour, movement and nest-building behaviour.
Continued observation may reveal whether females approach the most active males and whether those males are ultimately more successful in forming breeding pairs. These small moments demonstrate the value of patient local observation.
Supporting video: “Red Cheeked Cordon Bleus Mating Dance”, filmed in an aviary and published by melovetinky on YouTube. It illustrates comparable courtship behaviour and is not footage of Lamin’s Kotu Bridge observation.
Field observation and commentary by Lamin Jobaate, West African Birding.
AI-assisted reconstruction based on separate Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu reference photographs and Lamin Jobaate’s field observation at Kotu Bridge. It is not a photograph of the observed event.
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