Hoodie whoopie

A male (top) and female (bottom) display their crests.

This looked promising.

A pair of Hooded Mergansers arrived on a pond yesterday and each then erected its crest. Each presented the other with a side view, the better to display their crests to good effect.

Hoodies have a variety of courtship displays, most of which are performed by the male. They go by names such as: crest raising, head shaking, head throw, pumping, upward stretch, water twitching. These actions might be repeated a number of times. Typically, when these are performed by one bird, it does not face the object of its desire. Rather, it presents the more enticing side view to its intended. If all of this has its intended effect, copulation ensues on the water.

Below, there are quite a few pictures of hoodie courtship. I try to attach the proper label to each based upon the descriptions offered in the 1961 paper by Johnsgard: The Sexual Behavior and Systematic Position of the Hooded Merganser.

The male raises his crest.

The female raises her crest.

The male lifts his head, shakes it, and calls.

Then in the most elaborate of the male courtship displays, he throws his head back while keeping the crest erect.

Sometimes the male will do head pumping where he silently extends and shortens his neck. There are two females watching this. The one on the left has raised her crest; the one on the right shows less interest.

And then there is the rising out of the water,

and what is apparently called water twitching.

At this point, there is some calling back and forth: your place or my place.

The decided couple heads off together.

Abruptly, there ensues a great deal of splashing about.