FEEDING HABITS 39 



barns or similar buildings. 



The Diving Ducks are also ground nesters, with the exception of the 

 American and Barrow's Golden-eyes and the Buffle-head, which are habit- 

 ual tree nesting species. The Western Harlequin occasionally nests in 

 trees and on cliffs. 



The American Merganser prefers tree-sites for its nest, but where 

 such sites are not readily available it will nest on the ground. The Red- 

 breasted Merganser always nests on the ground, while the little Hooded 

 Merganser will always select a hollow tree or stump for its abode. 



The Ruddy Duck group are ground nesters. 



The Black-bellied Tree Duck nests in hollow trees, in the forks of 

 trees, and sometimes on the ground. The Fulvous Tree Duck seems to 

 prefer sites on the ground, though it also has been found nesting in trees. 



In the Family as a whole, the habitual tree nesters are: Wood Duck, 

 American Golden-eye, Barrow's Golden-eye, Buffle-head, Hooded Mer- 

 ganser, and Black-bellied Tree Duck. 



FEEDING HABITS 



SWANS do not dive for their food nor do they graze on land, but 

 obtain their sustenance by "tipping" up in the shallow places, tails in 

 the air, reaching down to the bottom to the full extent of their long 

 necks. Their food is principally vegetable. 



GEESE likewise feed in shallow places by "tipping," but most 

 species obtain their food mainly by grazing on land, in the fields of 

 stubble and of sprouting grain, and in pastures. Their food is chiefly 

 vegetable. 



RIVER AND POND DUCKS, or SURFACE-FEEDING DUCKS, 

 feed, as their name implies, either at the surface, where they skim the 

 water at the edges of the shores and banks, or by "tipping," tail up, in 

 the shallow places, reaching down to obtain their sustenance from the 

 bottom. Many of the ducks of this subfamily graze on land as do the 

 Geese, and some wander deep into the woods in search of nuts, berries, 

 and land insects. All of the ducks of this subfamily are predominantly 

 vegetable feeders. 



DIVING DUCKS usually dive for their food and feed submerged. 

 The depths to which they dive are generally between 2 and 10 feet, 

 though some typical sea ducks feed at much greater depths. Members of 

 this subfamily seldom seek their sustenance on land. The Diving Ducks 

 may be divided by their feeding habits into two groups, (a) the inland 

 divers, and (b) the sea ducks. The feeding habits of these two groups 

 are as follows: 



"Inland divers," which include the Canvas-back, Redhead, Ring- 

 neck, Greater and Lesser Scaups, and the Ruddy and Hasked Ducks, 

 are (with the exception of the Greater Scaup) predominantly vegetable 

 feeders, and their favourite foods are pondweeds, muskgrass, sedges, 

 wild rice and other grasses, and wild celery. 



"Sea ducks" include the two species of Golden-eye, the Buffle- 



