Bufflehead

Description

Bufflehead courtship displays are incredibly adorable & being able to observe them relatively close up was a real pleasure. The bay they were inhabiting had a very steep drop-off that was close to shore & thus the diving ducks were able to move closer to me than usually possible. There were 4 separate males, all trying to court a single female. They would take turns running atop the water’s surface to take flight for a short distance & abruptly land in front of the female. They would raise their crests high & bob their heads frantically, each trying his best to impress her. Occasionally, some of the males would grow weary of so much competition. They would swim underwater & thrash at a rival male to try and scare them off. For the duration of my visit with the small ducks, none were truly deterred by each others attempts to dominate the territory.

Taken By

Gabriel Evans-Cook

Taken On

March 29, 2021

Tagged

bird birding duck bufflehead waterfowl wildlife ontario animal anseriformes