WILD DUCKS AS WINTER GUESTS IN A 



CITY PARK" 



By Joseph Dixon 



A Contribution from the Museum of V ertebrate Zoology of the University of 



California 



THE wild ducks which winter at 

 Lake Merritt, in the city of Oak- 

 land, Calif., afford a most striking 

 example of the value which wild life may 

 have to a community. The sane and effi- 

 cient method here used to attract and 

 safeguard the ducks has resulted not only 

 in the preservation of the bird life in- 

 volved, but also in making available for 

 observation and enjoyment a peculiarly 

 attractive display to a multitude of peo- 

 ple. 



Moreover, the methods employed have 

 been thoroughly in accord with the grow- 

 ing democratic sentiment in America to 

 the effect that our native wild life and 

 game belong to the people as a whole and 

 not to any one section. 



Lake Merritt is a V-shaped body of 

 salt water, covering somewhat less than 

 a square mile, almost in the center of 

 Oakland. It is the oldest State game res- 

 ervation in California, having been es- 

 tablished by the Legislature in 1869. The 

 attractions offered wild ducks at Lake 

 Merritt, in estimated order of impor- 

 tance, are : sanctuary, food, drink, suit- 

 able loafing grounds. 



A large section at the east end of the 

 lake is set off by a log boom, and boating 

 is forbidden thereon during the winter 

 months. Dogs not in leash are forbidden 

 in the city park adjoining the lake, for 

 there the ducks come out on the lawn 

 and are fed daily at 10 o'clock. Of 

 course, no shooting is ever allowed. 



THE DAILY BOARD BILL OF A DUCK 



The city, through its Board of Park 

 Commissioners, provides food and water 

 for the ducks. During the past winter 



e * For a detailed account of the various spe- 

 cies of wild ducks, see Henry W. Henshaw's 

 "American Game Birds," in "The Book of 

 Birds," illustrated in natural colors, with 250 

 paintings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Published 

 by the National Geographic Society. 



(1918-19) feeding was not begun until 

 the armistice was signed ; thereafter four 

 tons of whole barley were fed to the 

 ducks in the Oakland city parks in yy 

 days at a total cost of $397.23, or at an 

 average cost of $5.16 per day. The usual 

 feeding period is about 100 days, and the 

 average cost each year about $400. 



If we figure on the presence of 2,500 

 ducks, the amount of barley consumed 

 each day by each bird would be little over 

 one-half ounce, and the cost per bird per 

 day about one-fifth of a cent. Of course, 

 the ducks depend in major part upon 

 natural sources of food. 



Several shallow cement drinking basins 

 are maintained on the lake shore, and 

 these are kept full of fresh water, being 

 regulated by automatic cut-offs. The 

 drinking basins are very popular with the 

 river ducks, such as the Pintail and Bald- 

 pate, but are rarely visited by the Canvas- 

 back and other sea ducks. 



TWO CLASSLS OF WILD FOWL ARL 

 LNTLRTAINED 



The wild fowl at Lake Merritt may be 

 divided into two classes, those which 

 come out and loaf on the lawn and those 

 which remain on the lake. The river 

 ducks, such as the Pintail, Baldpate, and 

 Shoveler, as well as numerous coots and 

 gulls, spend considerable time when un- 

 disturbed in sleeping and basking in the 

 sunshine on the lawn. 



On the other hand, the sea ducks, Can- 

 vasback, Scaup, Bufffehead. Goldeneye, 

 and Ruddv (all characterized by having 

 a vertical flap on the hind toe) , prefer the 

 open waters of the lake, along with the 

 various diving birds, such as the Eared 

 and Pied-billed grebes. The shore line is 

 attractive to the Killdeer, that most ubiq- 

 uitous of American wading birds. 



The ducks begin to arrive about Octo- 

 ber of each year, and they scatter again 

 at the close of the shooting season, Feb- 



33i 



