BALDPATE 107 



white; lining of wing pale ashy gray; breast, sides and flanks, pinkish brown, 

 the breast washed with ashy and the sides and flanks irregularly barred with 

 blackish; lower tail coverts velvety black; rest of under surface pure white, 

 sometimes suffused with rusty; legs and feet greenish slate, claws and joints 

 dusky. Males: Total length 19.30-20.44 inches (490-520 mm.) (two specimens); 

 folded wing 9.85-10.35 (250-263); bill along culmen 1.36-1.57 (34.7-40.0); 

 tarsus 1.41-1.58 (35.8-40.2) (ten specimens); weight 22.65-23.20 oz. (641-656 

 gm.) (two specimens). Adult female: Whole upper surface dull grayish brown; 

 barred with yellowish brown; head and neck thickly mottled with blackish 

 on a whitish ground; rump and upper and under tail coverts dark brown, with 

 whitish feather margins and the coverts pervaded with reddish brown; wing 

 as in male but white area chiefly replaced by white-edged ashy brown feathers; 

 speculum dull black, occasionally with a small patch of metallic green; sides 

 and flanks deep reddish brown; breast dull brown, mottled with blackish and 

 tinged with ashy; rest of under surface white, sometimes tinged with rusty. 

 Folded wing 9.00-9.80 inches (228-249 mm.) bill along culmen 1.22-1.55 (31.1- 

 39.4) ; tarsus 1.37-1.55 (34.8-39.4) (ten specimens) ; all from California. Juvenile 

 plumage: Similar to that of adult female but colors more pronounced, and 

 the pattern better defined, especially on the wing (Baird, Brewer and Bidgway, 

 1884, I, p. 521). Natal plumage: Top of head and stripe down hind neck, dark 

 sepia brown; sides of head and neck cinnamon buff; back light brown; pair of 

 spots at base of tail, white; hind margin of wing pinkish buff; throat creamy 

 buflf; rest of under surface dull creamy buff, suffused with cinnamon buff 

 on chest. 



Marks foh field identification — Medium size, white axillars, and more or 

 less white on forepart of wing. Males have top of head white, sides of head 

 mixed black and white, a green patch behind eye, green speculum, white 

 flank patch, and black under tail coverts. Both sexes distinguished from 

 European Widgeon by pure white rather than grayish axillars, and male by 

 lack of reddish brown on head (pi. 3). The wings make a whistling noise 

 when the birds are in flight. 



Voice — Of male: a mewing whistle resembling the syllables whe^v whew; 

 of female: a loud kaow, Icaow, or hue, hue, hue, with a strong accent on the 

 second note (Eaton, 1910, p. 191; Nordhoff, 1902, p. 213). 



Nest — Usually on high dry ground, and often a considerable distance from 

 water; a slight depression well lined with dry grass and weed stems and abun- 

 dantly supplied with light gray down (Bent, 1901, p. 335). 



Eggs — 6 to 12, elliptical ovate in shape, measuring in inches, 2.00 to 2.37 

 by 1.42 to 1.60 (in millimeters, 51.0 to 60.1 by 36.2 to 40.1), and averaging 

 2.17 by 1.53 (55.1 by 38.8) ; color deep cream to nearly white (Bent, 1901, pp. 

 335-336; and fifty-four eggs in U. S. National Museum). 



General distribution — North America. Breeds from northwestern Alaska, 

 northern Mackenzie and central Keewatin south to Oregon, Colorado, Kansas, 

 and northern Indiana; winters from southern British Columbia, southern 

 Illinois, and Maryland south to southern Lower California, the West Indies 

 and Costa Eiea; rare in migration in maritime provinces of Canada, and 

 casual in Hawaii, Bermuda and Europe (A. O. U. Check-list, 1910, p. 70). 



Distribution in. California — Common winter visitant to suitable localities 

 throughout the state, chiefly on fresh water, but occurs occasionally along the 

 coast, especially in the shoal waters of Humboldt, Tomales and San Francisco 

 bays. Recorded as breeding on Davis Creek, Modoc County. 



