THE REDHEAD. 



No. 293. 

 REDHEAD. 



A. O. U. No. 146. Aythya americana (Eyt.). 



Synonym. — American Pochard. 



Description. — Adult male : Angle between oilmen and forehead abrupt ; 

 head and upper neck bright chestnut, glossed with reddish purple, most heavily 

 on neck; lower neck and breast all around (i. e. including upper back) deep 

 glossy brownish black; belly white; rump, upper tail-coverts, and crissum sooty 

 black; remaining plumage, except wings, and including lower belly (in fact all 

 above the "water-line") finely wavy-barred or vermiculated dusky and white in 

 about equal proportions; wing-coverts ashy gray speckled with white; speculum 

 still lighter, — warm ashy gray, tipped with white; axillars entirely and lining 

 of wings chiefly white ; bill dull blue with a black belt at tip ; feet grayish blue, 

 with black claws and dusky webs; iris orange. Adult female: Much plainer; 

 wing as in male; above and on breast and sides warm or dull grayish brown, 

 more or less tipped with buffy or fulvous, the feathers of back and scapulars 

 .-ometimes speckled with dusky and white on tips, according to season ; darker 

 on back and crown, lighter on sides of head and neck, especially above bill, light- 

 ening to bufTy white on chin and throat; belly white; lower belly light grayish 

 brown; crissum grayish brown and white; bill lighter than in male. 1 111 mature 

 male : Like adult female but darker ; feathers near base of bill, on sides only, 

 whitish; speculum (always?) creamy white instead of ashy gray. Length 18.00- 

 22.00 (457.2-558.8) ; wing 8.96 (227.6) ; tail 2. so (63.5) : bill 1.80 (45.7) ; tarsus 

 i-56 (39-6). ' 



Recognition Marks. — Mallard size or smaller; chestnut head, black breast 

 and "canvas" back and sides of male. See distinctions under next species. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, in a marsh or near water, 

 of reeds, grasses, etc.. well lined with feathers and down. Eggs, 8-14. creamy 

 white, or dull greenish buff. Av. size, 2.40 x 1.70 (61. x 43.2). 



General Range. — North America, breeding from California, southern Michi- 

 gan and Maine northward. 



Range in Ohio. — Rather common spring and fall migrant. 



IT may be confessed of a few of the wild birds that they were made 

 to be eaten. Even with this stolid view of the case, it is matter of regret that 

 such an excellent bird is rapidly decreasing in numbers. Inasmuch as it is 

 strictly a migrant with us, the fault would seem to lie with the inadequacy or 

 lax enforcement of laws in the southern bays and estuaries, where they winter 

 in considerable numbers, and with the utter lawlessness of the far northwest, 

 where the ,species is no longer able to cope with the rising tide of uninstructed 

 and irresponsible immigration. Nothing will ever be accomplished so long- 

 as each state takes a wholly selfish view of the birds which pass through its 

 borders, and disregards the rights and claims of other states and of the birds 

 themselves. It is vain that we should try to raise Wood Ducks in summer 



