THE BALDPATE DUCK 



(Anas americana.} 



The Baldpates or American Wid 

 geons have an extensive range which 

 covers North America, while they breed 

 chiefly 'north of the United States, they 

 also nest in the Northern States of the 

 interior and casually southward to 

 Texas. They are not known to nest on 

 the Atlantic coast. They pass the win 

 ter in large numbers in the Southern 

 States, and from there southward to 

 northern South America and Cuba. 

 During their migrations in the spring 

 and fall, they frequent the rivers, 

 marshes and lakes. In the fall they pro 

 long their journey southward in order to 

 feed upon the wild celery, sedges and 

 wild rice. At such times they are much 

 sought by sportsmen, for their flesh is 

 excellent and fully equal to that of the 

 canvasback. They are very fond of wild 

 celery but 'not of diving for it. They 

 have learned to associate with the diving 

 ducks. This is well illustrated by their 

 habits in the Chesapeake Bay region 

 where Baldpates winter in large num 

 bers. Neltje Blanchan has so well ex 

 pressed this habit in her "Game Birds," 

 that we quote her words. "But when 

 living an undisturbed life, the Wid 

 geons greatly prefer that other ducks, 

 notably the canvasbacks, should do their 

 diving for them. Around the Chesa 

 peake, where great flocks of wild ducks 

 congregate to feed on the wild celery, 

 the Widgeons show a not disinterested 

 'sociability, for they kindly permit their 

 friends to make the plunge down to the 

 celery beds, loosen the tender roots, and 

 bring a succulent dinner to the surface ; 

 then rob them immediately on their re 

 appearance." But the Baldpates receive 

 their punishment for using a stolen food. 

 Their flesh assumes a fine flavor, and is 

 considered far superior by many to that 

 of the famous canvasback. In their 

 summer homes, however, the Baldpates 



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feed chiefly upon insects, worms and 

 small shells, 'and their flesh is much less 

 delicate than it is when they are feeding 

 on the wild celery of the Chesapeake 

 Bay. They also visit the rice fields 

 of the south during the winter, and in 

 some localities they appear in these fields 

 in such large numbers that they are said 

 to do much damage. During the breed 

 ing season, the Baldpates, unlike nearly 

 all of the other ducks, seem to prefer the 

 vicinity of rivers and open lakes, 

 and not the marshes, and lakes which are 

 more or less filled with grass. They also 

 differ from most ducks in their choice 

 of nesting sites. These are usually lo 

 cated some distance from water. Mr. 

 Robert Kennicott reports that several 

 of the nests which he found in the vicin 

 ity of the Yukon River were fully a half 

 mile from the river. The nests are near 

 ly always upon high, dry ground and 

 are simply depressions' in the mass of 

 dried leaves, though they are well lined 

 with down. They are usually found un 

 der trees, though they are not particular 

 ly concealed. When the eggs are left 

 by the sitting bird they are well covered 

 by her with the lining down. In his 

 "Report upon the Natural History Col 

 lections Made in Alaska in the Years 

 1877-1881," Mr. E. W. Nelson gives an 

 interesting note regarding the habits of 

 the female Baldpate when brooding her 

 young. He says : "I once came suddenly 

 upon a female Widgeon with her brood 

 of -ten or a dozen little ducklings, in a 

 small pond. As I approached, the par 

 ent uttered several low gutteral notes 

 and suddenly fluttered across the water 

 and fell heavily at my feet, so close that 

 I could almost touch her with my gun. 

 Meanwhile the young swam to the oppo 

 site side of the pond and began to 

 scramble out into the grass. Willing 

 to observe the old bird's maneuvers, I 



