58 



DUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



AYTHYA COLLARIS {Donov.). 

 Ring-neck Duck. 



AdvXt male: Head, and neck, upper lireast, and upper back, black, usually showing faint 

 bluish reflections when held in the light. In the l)reeding season the male has an orange 

 chestnut collar, which is usually lacking later in the season; belly, white, with the lower 

 bell}' finely lined with blackish; speculum, gray; bill, dusky, showing a faint bluish gray 

 band near the end. 



Adult female : Head, brownish, the sides mixed with grayish brown shading into whitish 

 on face about base of the bill; bellj', whitish, becoming grajish on the lower i^ortion; bill, as 

 in the male. Resembles the female l!ed-head Duck, but is smaller. 



Length, 17; wing. 8; bill, 2. 



Aytliya collaris (male). 



A\tli}a (-(jllaris (I'enialc). 



The Rin^r-neck Duck ranges throughout North America, lireeding north of 

 the United States. It occurs in winter as far soutli as Guatemala and the 

 West Indies. 



The female resembles the female Ked-head, l)ut is easily distinguished from 

 that species by its smaller size, and its gray speculum will always distinguish it 

 from the Scaup Ducks. The note is somewhat similar to that of the Scaup Duck. 

 In winter the collar of the male is usually absent or but slightly indicated. 



Unlike the Scaup Ducks the Ring-neck prefers fresh or slightly brackish 

 water, and is much more common in the interior than on the coast; it breeds 

 in the interior fi'om Minnesota and Iowa northward. The nest is composed of 

 grass placed on the ground ; the eggs are olive buff color, six to twelve in numl)er. 



