DUCKS 



121 



Forehead, cro'wn and back of head, ti'hile ; a broad 

 palcli of glossy green on side of head extending around 

 and down back of neck where it meets its fellow; 

 cheeks and rest of neck, whitish with dusky spots; 

 throat, dusky ; back, shoulders, and rump, pale brownish- 

 gray finely waved with dusky ; breast, light brownish- 

 red with pale gray edgings on feathers; sides of body, 

 the same color waved with dusky; rest of lower parts, 

 pure white except under tail-coverts which are black ; 

 lesser wing-coverts, i)lain gray ; middle and greater 

 coverts, pure white forming a large area, edged behind 

 by black tips of the greater coverts; sj^eeulitni, glossy 

 green bordered behind by black; long inner secondaries, 

 black with sharp white edges ; rump and upper tail- 

 coverts, white: the outside feathers of latter, dusky; 

 primaries and their coverts, and tail, pale brownish- 

 gray; this perfect plumage seen only in old drakes; 

 bill, grayish-blue, black at tip and base below ; feet, the 

 same with dusky webs ; iris, brown ; usually the whole 

 head and neck are pale brownish-yellow speckled with 

 greenish and dusky, .•\dult Female : Head and neck 

 all around, pale grayish; crown and back of neck, more 



brown with dusky spots; upper parts, yellowish-brown 

 barred on back with dusky; shoulders spotted with the 

 same ; rump and upper tail-coverts, mixed brownish 

 and white ; tail, grayish-brown, the feathers white 

 edged; wing, as in male but white area mottled with 

 grayish; breast, brownish; rest of under parts, white; 

 bill, feet, and eye, as in male. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest; On the ground in marshes: 

 a neat well-built structure (for a Duck) of grass and 

 weeds; lined with feathers and down from the breast 

 of the bird. &,GS : 8 to i8. pale buffy. 



Distribution. — North America in general ; breeds 

 from northwestern Alaska, northern Mackenzie, and 

 central Keewatin south to Oregon. Nevada. Utah. Colo- 

 rado. Kansas, southern Wisconsin, and northern Indi- 

 ana; winters from southern British Columbia, southern 

 Illinois, Maryland, and Delaware (casually Massa- 

 chusetts and Rhode Island) south to southern Lower 

 California, the West Indies, and Costa Rica : rare ni 

 migration to northern Ontario, northern Quebec, and 

 Newfoundland; accidental in Hawaii, liernuida, and 

 Europe. 



In the East the Buldpate or .American Widgeon 

 is a shy and wary bird and a great tell-tale. 

 Quick to take the alarm itself, it is not slow to 

 communicate it to others; and whenever a few 

 Baldpates mix with a flock of other Ducks the 

 sportsman must " mind his eye." or all his 

 stratagems, disguises, and concealments will fail. 

 In the Far West it is less wary. 



Wild isolated lakes and rivers not much fre- 

 quented by other Ducks often are chosen by the 

 Baldpate as favorite nesting spots. Here they 

 nest, usually among bushes or trees amid the 

 dead leaves, often on high ground and not al- 

 ways near the water, but the eggs are well con- 

 cealed and covered with their blanket of down. 

 While the females are incubating, the males 

 gather and. like the males of other River Ducks, 

 go into the " eclipse " plumage, which closely 

 resembles that of the female and leaves them 

 inconspicuous in color during the summer while 

 they molt and grow new wing quills. 



As the season of migration aj)])roaches the 

 Baldpates begin to move southward and many 

 are shot in the northwestern .States while flying 

 from pond to jiond : but they soon become shy, 

 flying high over marshes and keeping well out of 

 range of suspicious points, and by the last of 

 October when they appear on the Atlantic coast 

 they are difficult to kill. 



The usual note of this bird is a soft whistle 

 which is repeated often when the flock is on the 



wing. The flight is either in a line nearly abreast 

 or in a group much like a flock of pigeons. 

 Whenever anything alarms one of the flock a 

 louder whistle warns all the others to shy off or 

 climb the air. 



The species is very fond of wild celery, but 

 is a poor diver and depends somewhat upon the 

 flocks of Redheads, Canvas-backs, Scaups, and 



Courtesy of I\at. Abbu. Autl. tioc. 



NEST AND EGGS OF BALDPATE 



The largest families are found among Ducks, Grouse, and Quails, 

 the young of which are able to leave the nest as soon as the 

 natal covering is dry 



Coot to dive for its food which it steals from 

 their bills the moment they appear above water. 

 The male may be recognized by the conspicuous 

 white of the forehead and wing-coverts. 



Edward Howe Fokbusii. 



