The Social Aspects of Reproductive Behavior in the Pintail

Abstract

Pintails tend to form unisexual flocks in the fall. Pair formation begins during the winter as flocks of males and females merge. The role of court- ship groups in mate selection is difficult to determine, because this group activity is organized around a hen that has already indicated preference for a particular drake. The Pintail seems well adapted to breeding habitat with sparse vegetation and temporary water. Flocks of Pintails arrive on the prairie shortly after the ice breaks and the birds respond quickly to, suitable nesting conditions. Behavior that tends to disperse the flock functions more effectively than territorial behavior in the traditional sense. Pursuit flights may disperse females during the laying period, but the degree to which pairs are dispersed must vary depending upon the situation. Males rarely behave aggressively toward each other during the nesting season. This is probably related to promiscuity, but it also results in more flexibility in the distribution of nesting pairs.