WILD DUCKS AS WINTER GUESTS 



333 



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Photograph by Joseph Dixon. 



PINTAILS ASLEEP, OBLIVIOUS TO THEIR CITY SURROUNDINGS 



Most city folk would be much surprised to wake up in the morning and find their front 

 lawn covered with wild ducks. Scenes such as this are frequent in the fashionable residence 

 district about Lake Merritt. The birds here are very much at home and seem to know that 

 they are in a veritable "city of refuge," as far as ducks are concerned. Note that Pintails 

 sleep lying down instead of standing on one leg, as is the case with Shovelers. 



In addition to this character, the male 

 may be recognized in the field by having 

 a pure white belly and breast, from which 

 a conspicuous white stripe extends up 

 along each side of the neck, almost meet- 

 ing its fellow at the back of the head, but 

 separating the dark-brown head and chin 

 from the black hind neck. 



The female is smaller than the male 

 and has a dingy instead of a pure white 

 breast. The top of the head and the sides 

 of the neck are brown streaked with 

 black. The feathers of the sides and back 

 are brown with whitish margins. 



north America's most famous wild 



DUCK 



When shot at on the hunting grounds, 

 the Pintails soon become exceedingly shy 

 and wary. Showing far more intelligence 

 than the Canvasback, they often refuse to 

 come within gun range of the decoys. 

 Yet these same birds are the ones which 

 respond most readily to the man-made 

 opportunity to secure rest, food, and 



freedom from enemies at Lake Merritt. 



The Canvasback, North America's most 

 famous wild duck, is the species occur- 

 ring second in abundance at Lake Mer- 

 ritt. During the winter of 19 18-19 there 

 were nearly 50 per cent more "Cans" 

 present on the lake than there were the 

 previous winter, so that this season the 

 number of Canvasbacks and Pintails was 

 nearly equal. The whitish, canvas-col- 

 ored back of the male is the character 

 which gives this duck its common 

 name. 



Canvasbacks obtain their food by div- 

 ing, and make little effort to secure food 

 which floats on the surface of the water. 

 When fed grain, they wait until it sinks 

 to the bottom and then dive for it. When 

 about to pick up barley in four or five 

 feet of water, the neck is arched ; then 

 the bird springs clear out of the water 

 and goes under with a little splash, 

 spreading its stubby black tail and pad- 

 dling vigorously with both feet mean- 

 while. Eight or ten birds out of a flock 



