White-headed Stilt at the WTP

With spring in the air the White-headed stilts at the WTP are feeling frisky in the cool of the morning. I don't know if this was a pair doing a courtship display or two males expressing their macho feelings but whichever the display was very elegant.

To begin, the two birds came shoulder to shoulder and strutted for about 5 metres with the black feathers on their necks held erect ...

one bird then turned away and the second bird followed and a short, synchronised flight followed ...

staying close they flew a few metres ....

and landed close together just a metre or so from where they took off ...

they then turned their backs on each other and did a wonderful synchronised jump and wing display ...

followed by more more prancing ... 

and close flight ....

that finished in one last jump-and-follow routine before the birds separated and returned to feeding.

The whole display lasted about 1 minute.







All text & images © Jenny Spry