OLD-SQUAW 



281 



FEMALE. General effect: In winter or summer, a small, chubby, brown- 

 backed, white-breasted duck, with a piebald head. Chief features (a) hind toe 

 with lobe, (b) head and very short neck piebald, brown and white, (c) bill, 



very short, about one inch, and stubby, (d) whole 

 body, in both plumages, piebald. 



The female can hardly be confused with any 

 other duck. 



JUVENILE. See "Description." 



FIELD MARKS 



ON THE WATER. Whether in winter or in 

 summer plumage, the medium-sized, chunky, adult 

 male Old-squaw can be identified instantly by its 

 long tail. In winter, the plumage of the male is pie- 

 bald but mainly white, with white head and neck; 

 in summer, its plumage is mainly brown, with 

 brown head and neck. The male sits low on the 

 water, with head erect and tail well elevated ex- 

 cept when feeding, when the tail is lowered to the 

 surface. The trim, male Pintale, in spite of its 

 long tail, is difficult to confuse with this duck on 

 account of its entirely different build. The female 

 Old-squaw has head and neck mainly white, white 



In winter plumage 



In summer plumage 



sides and dark back; these markings and 

 its thickset, chunky build will identify it. 

 IN FLIGHT. In winter plumage the 

 male is easily recognized on the wing by 

 its long tail and mainly white plumage 

 with dark wings and chest; in its summer 

 garb it is mainly dark brown with white 

 breast. The female is mainly white and 

 is the only such duck with solidly dark 

 wings; this marking is very evident in 

 flight. The style of flight is distinctive; 

 Old-squaws fly low to the water, in small 

 flocks in irregular formation, with many 

 twistings and turnings, showing breast 

 and back alternately. The wing-beats are 

 short and rapid. Old-squaws alight by 

 dropping suddenly in with a great splash. 



VOICE. Extremely garrulous, chat- 

 ty birds, gabbling and calling continuous- 

 ly with many musical notes. They have 

 a large and varied vocabularly: ow-owly, 

 owly, owly, in long succession; ow-owdle- 

 oic; ow-ow-owdle-ow; ah, ah, ah, rapidly; 

 ong, ong-onk; a-leedle-a, a-leedle-a re- 

 peated; ar-hi-look; sounds resembling the 

 words, south, south-southerly; and many 

 others calls and variations. The calls are 

 made on the water or in flight. The 



In winter plumage 



In summer plumage 



