IDENTIFICATION OF A SPECIMEN IN HAND 29 



DIVING DUCKS 



(1) Wing small; bent wing less than 7 inches 



BUFFLE-HEAD (Plates Nos. 18 and 21) 

 RUDDY DUCK (Plate No. 30) 

 MASKED DUCK (Plate No. 31) 



(2) Wing large; bent wing always over 7 inches 



(a) Speculum (entire wing) Solid brown or black 

 AMERICAN SCOTER (Plates Nos. 26 and 27) 

 SURF SCOTER (Plate No. 27) 



OLD-SQUAW (Plate No. 22) 



HARLEQUIN DUCK, female and juvenile (Plates Nos. 23 and 21) 



(b) Speculum grey 



REDHEAD (Plates Nos. 16 and 17) 

 RING-NECKED DUCK (Plates Nos. 18 and 21) 

 CANVAS-BACK (Plates Nos. 16 and 17) 



(c) Speculum white, and some white on coverts 

 AMERICAN GOLDEN-EYE (Plates Nos. 20 and 21) 

 BARROW'S GOLDEN-EYE (Plates Nos. 20 and 21) 



(d) Speculum white, but no white on coverts 

 WHITE-WINGED SCOTER (Plates Nos. 26 and 27) 

 GREATER SCAUP (Plates Nos. 19 and 17) 

 LESSER SCAUP (Plates Nos. 19 and 17) 



(e) Speculum Metallic blue 



HARLEQUIN DUCK, male (Plates Nos. 23 and 21) 



IDENTIFICATION OF A GOOSE 



The identification of a goose is much more simple than that of a 

 duck, since geese are not subject to the same seasonal plumage variations 

 as are ducks. Adults are readily sexed and distinguished from juveniles 

 by one or more of the several methods described under "Sex and Age 

 Determination," which follows this section on Identification. 



In adult plumage, the sexes are alike. The appearance of each spe- 

 cies is usually quite different from that of the other species. 



The pattern of the head and neck is a feature by which an adult 

 goose is easily recognized, and provides a simple key to the species. See 

 fig. 25. 



Having decided, with the aid of the Head and Neck Key, the species 

 to which the specimen probably belongs, turn to the Colour Plates for 

 final identification. 



(The juveniles not illustrated on the Colour Plates closely resemble 

 their respective adults.) 



