Is There a Human Mating Season? You’d Be Surprised

Every spring I watch the geese and ducks near the pond by my house as they emerge with their small babies, teaching them how to interact with the world around them. Similarly, I can see the birds in my yard protecting their nests, and I can watch the fledglings that eventually emerge from their homes as they learn how to fly.

That is quickly followed by a season of kittens that scamper out of the woods, as the cycle of life continues to spin on a predictable axis.

And while it seems like most animals and insects have strict mating seasons that remain the same year after year, there's one species that doesn't seem to follow a set schedule. That has left me wondering whether or not humans have a mating season, and if so, when it falls.

Interestingly enough, it appears that the answer to that question isn't as straightforward as you'd think. Keep reading to learn more about the human mating season and whether or not it is a predictable one.

While some animals may follow a pretty standard pattern when it comes to mating seasons, humans are a little trickier. According to the Big Think blog, that's because evolution has worked in our favor, allowing us to continue to both mate and give birth for decades at a time.

And while mating doesn't always end in the birth of a child, scientists have discovered that there seems to be a certain schedule parents follow when they want to have a baby, and they can track it in an amusing way.

According to one Harvard study, most babies are born between the months of July and September, with September having the most birthdays out of any other month. And while babies can be born any day of the month, September 16th seems to be a real winner when it comes to labor and delivery.

So, if you trace that date back 40 weeks, you'll end up right around the holidays (also known as "cuffing season"), which you can say makes this the unofficial mating season for humans.

According to Forbes, there's a reason why there isn't a true mating season for humans, and it has to do with the fact that we don't broadcast our ovulation schedule.

Remember those cats I mentioned, you can usually tell that they are ovulating because they have very obvious symptoms that go along with ovulation, including a yowling sound that they make when they are signaling to other cats that they are ready to mate.

Forbes also notes that humans can reproduce more frequently because of their ovulation schedules, which eliminates the need to keep mating and reproduction to just a certain time of year.

On a smaller scale, other trends can also influence when humans reproduce, including global, political, financial, and cultural shifts that make it easier or more appealing to have children, vs times when it's harder or more unappealing to have children.