86 



YOSEMH E NATURE NOTES 



BALDPATE 



18-22 



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BALDPATE (Mareca amcricana): 

 18-22 in. Forehead and croivn white; 

 sides of head dark, with greenish iri- 

 descence; breast and sides brownish 

 tinged with pink; area under tail black; 

 white on flanks posteriorly; broad white 

 area near wing-bend seen in flight, re- 

 duced in female, not present in imma- 

 ture; remaining under parts white; bill 

 bluish with black tip. Female: Flanks 

 ruddy brown; head and neck gray; 

 small white area near bend of wing, 

 seen in flight. 



W.V. or M. throughout California, 

 chiefly on freshwater marshes, lakes, 

 and streams. C.V. on lakes and slower 

 streams of Yosemite region. 



SHOVELLER (Spatula clypeata): 

 17-20 in. Head and upper neck green- 

 ish-black; back whitish with dark area 

 down middle; wing grayish-blue at 

 bend; white of breast and flanks sep- 

 arated by reddish-brown on sides; black 

 region under tail; belly chestnut; long 

 shovel-shaf)ed black bill, wider at tip 

 than at base, giving bird front-heavy 

 appearance in flight; sits low in water. 

 Female: Plumage generally brown, 

 mottled; large blue wing-patch and 

 large bill as in male. 



Chiefly on fresh water but also fre- 

 quents brackish water. Occasionally a 

 few breed in the park. On open streams 

 and lakes in Yosemite region at almost 

 any time of year, but rarely seen. 



WOOD DUCK 



' ^. , . -N^ 17-20 . 



CANVAS-BACK DUCK 



20-24 





RING-NECKED DUCK 



16-18 





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