Displaying with head-throw 

Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis. Alaska, United States of America.

Gail Bisson, Canada. Category: Bird Behaviour. 2018 Commended.

Taken from last year’s competition is this Long-tailed Duck by Gail Bisson from Canada.

Photographer's Story: ‘We found a pair of long-tailed ducks in an ice pond.With good fieldcraft we were able to move to the edge of the pond. We patiently waited for any type of behavior and were thrilled when this display started.The tail rises up and the head is thrown back and some vocalizations occur. Taking care to expose properly for the blacks and the whites. It was very cold this day and frozen fingers meant I had to visually locate the shutter because I couldn't feel it.’

Canon EOS 1DX with Canon EF600mm f/4L IS II USM lens and 1.4x converter. 840mm focal length; 1/1,600 second; f/8; ISO 800.