108 GAME BIBVS OF CALIFORNIA 



The Baldpate, or American Widgeon, is one of the best known 

 and most numerous of the river ducks in California during the winter 

 season. It begins to arrive in numbers in October, and leaves again 

 for the north in the early part of March; Prom the numbers sold 

 on the market in California, one might judge the species to be most 

 abundant in November. Although preferring the fresh water lakes, 

 ponds, rivers, and sloughs of the interior, the Baldpate is sometimes 

 found in considerable numbers on the shallow water of the bays. 

 Often the latter location is used as a loafing ground, at least during 

 the day. The species is "very common along the coast froin Crescent 

 City southward during October. Widgeons usually [form] . . . the 

 largest part of every duck hunter's bag. They often spend the day 

 in the open ocean and return to the marshes to feed at night" (Ferry, 

 1908, pp. 38-39). 



A large area of white on the top of the head of the male has given 

 this duck its common name of Baldpate (pi. 3). This white patch 

 together with a broad metallic green streak behind the eye helps to 

 distinguish this duck from others. The large amount of white on 

 the fore part of the wing, especially in the male, the white axillars, 

 and the conspicuous white under surface of the body also aid in identi- 

 fication. The speculum is peculiar, that of the male being green, 

 bordered in front and behind with velvety black, while that of the 

 female is usually altogether dull black. In most ducks it is the same 

 in both sexes. The lighter color of the lower surface and the white 

 axillars and dark speculum serve to distinguish the female Baldpate 

 from the female Gadwall, our only other duck of comparable size 

 and coloration. Were it not for the gray under surface of the wing 

 in the female Baldpate, visible in flight, she might be mistaken for a 

 female Mallard ; but the latter bird has a pure white under wing 

 lining, and no patch of white on the outer surface of the wing. 



The Baldpate breeds later than most other ducks, as it apparently 

 does not begin laying until late May or early June in Alaska. Accord- 

 ing to Nelson (1887, p. 68) small ducklings are to be seen there at 

 various times in July, and young only half-grown as late as the middle 

 of August. There is only one record of this duck nesting in Cali- 

 fornia: Dawson (1916, p. 24) says that it was "breeding commonly 

 at Davis Creek in Modoc County, ' ' where he found a set of nine fresh 

 eggs on June 20, 1912, and another of eleven, advanced in incuba- 

 tion, June 24 of the same year. Birds seen by him at Eagleville, 

 Surprise Valley, in the same county, July 12, 1912, were thought to 

 be breeding. Belding (MS) saw a pair of Baldpates at Stockton, 

 San Joaquin County, as late as May 28 (1878), but found no definite 

 evidence that they were breeding there. 



