The Cloacal Kiss

But curiosity brought me back.

Alright Pliny, tell me, what is a cloacal kiss?

Many birds, said Pliny, mate by means of a brief touching of their cloacae, during which sperm is transferred from the male to the female.

And where are these cloacae? I asked cautiously.

Where you would expect them to be, answered Pliny. At the end of the bird.

What do you mean, at the end of the bird?

Under their tail, at the back, said Pliny. The cloaca is a multi function organ used for excretion of urine and faeces as well as for reproduction.

No wonder they do it briefly, I said. But wait a minute, what position do they do it in?

The male bird mounts the female from behind, said Pliny. Or so I believe.

In that case, I said, the female wouldn't see his stripes or his bars. So why does he have them?

No doubt she assesses them well before it comes to this, said Pliny patiently.