<P> "The Birds and the Bees" is an English - language idiomatic expression and euphemism that refers to courtship and sexual intercourse . The "Birds and the Bees talk" (sometimes known simply as "The Talk") is generally the event in most children's lives in which the parents explain what sexual relationships are . </P> <P> According to tradition, the birds and the bees is a metaphorical story sometimes told to children in an attempt to explain the mechanics and good consequences of sexual intercourse through reference to easily observed natural events . For instance, bees carry and deposit pollen into flowers, a visible and easy - to - explain parallel to male fertilisation . Another example, birds lay eggs, a similarly visible and easy - to - explain parallel to female ovulation . </P>

Where did the phrase birds and the bees come from