Courtship displays are typically sequenced. They begin with Flying Around displays resembling natural flight, but oriented to breeding sites with skow calls. From here, courtship becomes aggressive. Crooked-Neck Flight displays are more aggressive, where the neck is partially cricked, legs are dangled and wingbeats are audible. Much like the Crooked-Neck Display, the Flap Flight Display shows the greatest intensity of flight displays.
Nonaerial displays are intersperse with display flights.
In the Snap Display, the male perches, then points body, head and neck down until bill tip is at or below level of its feet and then snaps its mandibles together producing a click while its feathers are erect. The Stretch Display involves the male pointing his bill straight up, stretching his neck, and then bending it backwards until the head almost touches its back with interscapular plumes erect and fanned. The male performs this Stretch Display before the female is allowed to enter the eventual nest area. Then the female performs a less intense Stretch silently after the male, which confirms the pair-bond. At this time, the male stops Flight and Snap displays.