Yellowknife (May 05/03) - They perform incredible aerobatic feats, fluff up their feathers, assume proud, masculine poses, and sometimes get 'horny' in their efforts to swoon the ladies.

Ravens are in the midst of their mating season and exhibiting quite humorous and sometimes annoying behaviours.

Biologist and raven enthusiast Bob Bromley said the mating behaviours of ravens are quite "intricate and complicated."

During the season of love -- beginning in January and running into June -- ravens must rely on the sound of the mating call of the opposite sex and positioning of the feathers.

"They don't have the chance to flash colours like a lot of birds do, so they use these incredible postures and position their feathers in bizarre ways," he said.

These mating poses range from the demonstrative display and intimidation display, to bowing ceremonies and choking movements. The choking movement is an awkward-looking pose the raven assumes when it unleashes a low, gurgling, choking sound.

"A lot of them are to identify themselves as male or female, some are just purely aggression, and others are for actually pairing with the opposite sexes," said Bromley.

The females, not much bothered by the idea of playing hard to get, almost always assume submissive postures. Male ravens, just like males in other species, assume very aggressive postures.

"So the males do often have their feathers erected, head high, feathers on the throat extended, belly feathers dropped, feathers on top extended," said Bromley.

In the extreme aggressive mating mode, horns appear on the head of the male raven -- no wonder it has led to the creatures being widely considered evil and demon-like.

If you haven't seen a horny raven, Bromley suggests to "have a good look."

"You can see it quite often once you know what to look for. It's like they have horns like the horned lark or great horned owls.

"They stick out quite a bit and what is happening there is most of the feathers on the head are depressed. They (the horns) are quite dramatic once you see the profile of the birds," he said.

The "submissive" females keep their feathers tight and smooth to the body during pairing, and have a "much more rounded, sleek" and somewhat sophisticated look.

The ravens also put on quite a show for prospective mates before copulation occurs in the spring.

"They are out there putting off these incredible displays in flight, aerobatics and whatnot," said Bromley.

"They are great fun to watch and it's quite entertaining for a lot of raven enthusiasts."