In winter and early spring, male common goldeneyes perform a complex series of courtship displays, in which the male bends his head back to touch his rump, then thrusts forward and kicks up water with his feet. The courtship call of male is a high-pitched jeee-ep, females utter a low quack.
Naturally, ducks nest in cavities in large trees, made by broken limbs or large woodpeckers. They return to these holes year after year, but will use nest boxes as well.
Goldeneye chicks leave the nest just one day after they hatch. The first step can be a doozy, with nests placed in tree cavities up to 15 m high. As the female stands at the base of the tree and calls, the downy chicks jump from the nest hole one after the other and tumble to the ground. After the ducklings leave the nest, they can feed themselves and require only protection.
The photos of the common goldeye were captured at Basel Zoo recently.