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Wildlife, Animal Biology and Animal Behavior

In wildlife photography, insight into biology of animals, their preferences and their behavior is of significant importance.

Contents

Animal Behavior and Functions

Animal behaviors can be classified by observable actions and their functional context across species — from birds to mammals and beyond. The list below outlines these behaviors and their possible functions. You can also explore them interactively: Search Videos

Physiology

• Surfacing — respiration, orientation, social interaction
• Hunting — predation, food acquisition
• Exploring — locomotion, exploration
• Foraging — food acquisition, exploration, survival
• Feeding — nutrition, energy intake, survival
• Drinking — hydration
• Preening — hygiene
• Mutual preening — hygiene, social bonding, courtship
• Gular fluttering (panting) — thermoregulation
• Resting, sleeping — recovery, energy conservation
• Flying, landing — locomotion
• Shedding, molting — maintenance
• Swimming — locomotion, exploration

Territory and Defense

• Song display — territory advertisement, courtship, communication
• Advertisement call — courtship, communication
• Vigilance behavior — predator awareness, safety
• Territorial behavior, marking, defense — dominance, resource protection
• Aggression, fighting — competition, communication, social bonding
• Threat display, submission display (agonistic displays) — conflict resolution, dominance hierarchy
• Camouflage (crypsis strategy) — predator avoidance, stealth

Social Behavior

• Feeding (young) — parental care, nutrition, survival
• Fencing — communication, social bonding
• Calling (juvenile) — food solicitation, parental care, communication
• Mutual grooming — hygiene, social bonding, courtship
• Nest building, burrowing — reproduction, parental care
• Courtship, mating displays — reproduction, pair bonding
• Playing, developmental behavior — learning, motor skills, social interaction
• Communication, vocalizations — information exchange, group cohesion

All content on this page — including photos, videos, and field audio recordings — was created by Karl-Heinz Müller, a Montréal-based wildlife filmmaker, sound recordist, and photographer. Founder of MUUUH and Québec Sauvage, he has spent over a decade documenting Canada’s natural habitats through immersive soundscapes and wildlife films. Learn more about Karl-Heinz

Last updated: 2025-10-24