HARLEQUIN DUCK 375 



a little group responded immediately to the guttural warning notes of the Black- 

 backed Gulls, leaping directly to wing without a pause. He thought that the cry of 

 these gulls was actually of some use to the ducks, at least as a protection from man. 

 Nelson (1887) found that Harlequins became shy in May, just before the breed- 

 ing season. A few other observers (Dresser, 1871-81; Alford, 1920a) have referred 

 to it as a shy bird, but taken by and large, wariness is certainly not a distinguishing 

 trait of the species. 



Daily Movements. The Harlequins feed almost entirely by day, like the 

 Golden-eyes and the Eiders, coming in to their favorite ledges and rocky coves in the 

 morning. W. Palmer (1899) speaks of their coming in regularly at 7 p.m. to roost on 

 the rocks on the Pribilov Islands. 



Gait. This duck is just as much at home on the rocks as on the sea, and does not 

 show any of the awkwardness in walking that is characteristic of the Scoters or the 

 Eiders. It takes advantage of rocks in streams for perching, and young broods have 

 even been found sitting in a row on a fallen tree lying partly in the water. 



Swimming. Harlequins tend to pack together very closely on the water and they 

 also have a habit of swimming in step-like or echelon formation. Alford (1920a) 

 describes this in the following way: Each individual swims closely behind and 

 slightly to one side of his leader, with the females in the rear or at least in a different 

 part of the line. "By a sudden turning movement, the group will form into a line 

 and swim along side by side, and so bunched together that the flank of each individ- 

 ual touches that of his neighbor." 



The individual bird floats high on the water and its extreme buoyancy has been 

 remarked upon by almost every one who has had a good chance to see it. It has a 

 habit of swimming with the head jerking backward and forward as an accompani- 

 ment to each stroke of the feet. 



The identification of the female when on the water is by no means an easy matter. 

 As Griscom (1922-23) says, the two light face-spots of the Harlequin are very poor 

 field-marks and it is easy for the over-enthusiastic to confuse it with the young 

 Long-tail or Scoters in various immature plumages. The buoyant floating position, 

 the short stubby bill, the very dark back and the absence of white on the abdomen, 

 as well as the aloofness in regard to other species usually serve to identify it. 



Diving. Harlequins are not true deep-water diving ducks. They much prefer 

 to feed in rough water that is broken by rocks and surf, and they will even feed in 

 shallow streams where they can walk along the bottom and secure food by dipping 

 down and merely immersing the head. Their great buoyancy seems to make diving 

 a greater effort, but is no doubt a useful adaptation. They use their wings half- 



