Reproduction

Wood Duck - Family Anatidae

       The Wood Duck displays its true colors in spring. Males attract females with their extravagant plumage, while female attract males with a vocalization cue. Mutual preening initiates the display and males also raise and move wings and tails frequently to display his colors to the female. They are monogamous for at least one breeding season.
       They nest alone in trees about 3-50 feet high and it's usually close to a body of water. The Wood Duck nests in a cavity found in the tree, sometimes in Pileated Woodpecker holes, and lines it with wood shavings and down feathers for insulation.
          The clutch size is about 10-15, with a survivorship of 75%. Sometimes two females share the same nest and take terns incubating the eggs. This is termed a "communal nest". After 30 days the precocial ducklings hatch and the next day they leave the nest in an interesting manner. At the call of the mothers voice, each chick jumps from the nest to the ground or water. Some jump from a height of 60 feet and they all land unscathed. After about 9 weeks the ducklings can fly and become independent. Wood ducks regularly produce two broods in one breeding season. It takes one year for a chick to reach sexual maturity, giving the Wood Duck a fast life history.

Wood Duck duckling leaping from its nest. 

by Stan Tekiela

Sources

http://www.deltawaterfowl.org

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw180

http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-wood-duck.html

Southern Screamer - Family Anhimidae

       Southern Screamers, found in South America, are monogamous and form pair bounds that last for a few years and up to their entire life (~15 years). Courtship displays involves mutual preening and dueting. Dueting consists of loud calls by both sexes which can be heard up to two miles away. They will also moved their head back so that it touches their back. 

        For a nest, the couple build a large platform nest made out of reeds, straws and sticks, on the ground and near shallow water. The female lays 2-7 white eggs, while both male and female incubate the eggs for a period of 43-46 days. The prococial chicks are cared for about 12-14 weeks, while fledging happens at about 8-10 weeks. They are also very good swimmers. The Southern Screamer lifetime is about 15 years which is a slow life history.

Sources
http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Screamer
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-southern-screamer.html