If you think trying to attract a mate by singing and dancing is for the birds, well, you are absolutely right, that’s exactly how some birds try to find that special someone.

This short video is from National Geographic, and it shows the courting behavior of a blue-capped cordon bleu, which we might as well just call the Fred Astaire bird, because it does a little song-and-dance number as a way to attract the opposite sex.

Because the dancing “happens in the blink of an eye,” the video is shown in slow motion, and we can see that what originally looks like mere jumping up and down, as though the bird is really eager to answer a teacher’s question, is actually a coordinated little dance number that looks like tap dancing.

Apparently both males and females perform this “tap dance,” possibly as a “sign of health and fitness.” This is a very physical display of showing worthiness as a mate, unlike my move of having an elliptical in my home that is covered in dust. Although, I have had more success keeping my girlfriend than this poor little guy did his, and yes I did just make myself feel better at the expense of a bird.

I’ve been obsessed with dancing birds ever since I saw the mating dances of Bird of Paradise on the BBC’s Planet Earth.

I’ve watched that roughly 500 times, and I will watch it infinitely more. Although, that might not even be the craziest thing you’ll see a bird do. Look at these birds from BBC’s Life that decorate their homes to attract a mate. LOOK AT THEM. They decorate their homes with color schemes. I took two years to hang up a clock.

Birds are weird. Birds are the best.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever seen a bird do? Fly into our comments section to let us know.

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Images: National Geographic