From our March/April 2026 Issue
When late March rolls around, I typically head to South Dakota to photograph the spring migration of waterfowl as birds head north from wintering areas to nesting grounds. Among the migrating ducks are good numbers of mallards. While most mallard courtship flights (one female being chased by multiple males) and subsequent pair bonding occurs in the winter, there are always a few unpaired females remaining in the spring. In most waterfowl populations there are more males than females. This becomes particularly evident in the spring when unpaired males significantly outnumber unpaired females. As a result, spring mallard courtship flights are often larger, involving multiple males—sometimes 20 or more. In fact, last spring I shot this image, in which one hen is being pursued by 37 drakes! This was certainly the largest courtship flight I’d witnessed in my 40-plus years in the field and may be a record of some kind.
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