138 



BIRDS OF AMERICA 



parts from breast, white ; lower abdomen and sides, 

 finely marked with black ; tail and under tail-coverts, 

 black ; wings, dark brown ; bill, black with bluish-gray 

 base and a band of same color near tip; feet, grayish 

 blue with dusky webs; iris, yellow. Adult Female: 

 Forehead, narrowly, sides of face more broadly, pure 

 white; rest of head, umber-brown, lightening on cheek 

 and throat; a white eye-riny ; upper parts, dusky- 

 brown ; breast, sides of body, brown, variegated with 

 lighter; abdomen, white; wing as in male; speculum, 

 duller, bill, legs, similar to male ; iris, brownish-yellow. 



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

 made of dry grass and leaves and lined with down. 

 Eggs: 6 to 12, usually 9 or 10, rarely 15, grayish-white 

 to buff. 



Distribution. — North America in general ; breeds 

 from northern California, North Dakota, northern Iowa 

 and southern Wisconsin northward; winters from 

 southern British Columbia, New Mexico, northern 

 Texas, southern Illinois and New Jersey south to Porto 

 Rico and Guatemala ; occurs in migration north to 

 Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Quebec. 



Distinctive peculiarities about the Ring-necked 

 Ducl< are that it is ahuost never seen in large 

 flocks, and seldom in open water. It swims 

 buoyantly, and is much given to raising its head 

 with a swan-like movement of its neck, and to 

 erecting the feathers on the back of its head. It 

 rises readily, from water or land, its wings 

 whistling faintly ; its flight is swift and direct. 



It is expert at diving and in that way captures 

 many minnows, crawfish, snails, tadpoles, and 

 frogs, though a considerable portion of its food 

 consists of the roots of aquatic plants and seeds. 

 Nowhere is this Duck recorded as very com- 

 mon. It resembles the Lesser Scaup in appear- 

 ance, size, and habits, and the two species mingle 

 together. 



GOLDEN-EYE 



Clangula clangula americana Bonaparte 



.\. O. U. X umber 151 See Culor Plate 18 



Other Names. — Golden-eyed Duck ; American Golden- 

 eye ; Garrot ; Whistler; Whistle-Duck; Whistle-wing; 

 Brass-eyed Whistler; Whififler ; Jingler; Merry-wing; 

 Great-head; Bull-head; Iron-head ; Cub-head ; Copper- 

 head; Cur; Spirit Duck. 



General Description. — Length, 20 inches. Males 

 have the head greenish-black, the fore part and sides 

 of the body white, and the back and tail black; females 

 have the head and back brown and the under parts 

 grayish. Both sexes have fluffy crests, and bills that 

 are short,-.high at the base, and narrowed near the tip. 



Color.-^'^BULT Male: Head and neck, glossy grecn- 

 ish-black ; a large oval spot in front and heton' eye, 

 'white ; lower neck, under parts, middle and greater wing- 

 coverts, most secondaries, and some shoulder-feathers, 

 white; long inner secondaries, edge of wing, primary 

 coverts, primaries and back, black; tail, ashy ; some flank 

 feathers with narrow dusky streaks on top edge ; bill. 



dusky with yelloiv tip; feet, orange, dusky webs; iris, 

 yellow. Adult Female: Chin, upper throat and head 

 all around, brown ; neck and entire lower parts, dull 

 whitish, shaded on breast and sides with ashy ; upper 

 parts, brownish ; some feathers of upper back with 

 lighter edges ; upper tail-cover'ts, tipped with pale 

 brown; bill, feet, and eye as in male; white wing 

 spaces much more restricted. 



Nest and Eggs. — Nest: In hollow tree, made of 

 grass, leaves, and moss and lined with down. Eggs: 

 9 to 12, light greenish. 



Distribution. — North America ; breeds from central 

 Alaska, across British America to Newfoundland, south 

 to southern British Columbia, southern Montana, north- 

 ern North Dakota, northern Michigan, northern New 

 York, and northern New England ; winters from about 

 the parallel 43° south to southern California, central 

 Mexico and Florida. 



The Golden-eye is commonly known as the 

 Whistler because of the peculiar penetrating 

 whistle made by its wings in flight. There are 

 times when these cutting strokes can be heard 

 even before the bird itself can be clearly made 

 out. The \Miistler breeds from just above the 

 latitude of Massachusetts northward to the limit 

 of trees, making its nest in a hollow tree near 

 some fresh-water pond or river. It breeds in 



the interior of Alaska, but is very rarely seen on 

 the coast. It is found almost throughout the 

 interior of North America, and is distinctively a 

 fresh-water bird until the frosts of winter begin 

 to close the ponds and rivers, when most of the 

 Whistlers in New England go to the salt water. 

 Some, however, still remain in the unfrozen 

 fresh waters of the North, South, and West. 

 The Whistler is a remarkably active bird, 



