THE AMERICAN' WIDGEON, OR BALDPATE, ANAS AMER- 

 ICANA. 



SIDNEY WILLIAMS. 



After the mallard the American widgeon 

 is perhaps the best known of the surface 

 feeding ducks. It inhabits the whole of 

 North America and has been taken occa- 

 sionally in Europe. It frequents both the 

 sea coast and inland lakes and rivers, 

 breeding from the Northern tier of States 

 Northward to the Arctic regions. 



The American widgeon is considerably 

 smaller than the mallard; adult males 

 weighing about i^4 pounds. It has, how- 

 ever, large wings, and when in flight ap- 

 pears almost as large as the last named 



full plumage, they collect in large flocks 

 and frequent the sand flats of the sea shore. 



There they may often be seen standing 

 or walking on the tidal banks, uttering 

 their soft, musical whistle. This consists 

 of 3 distinct notes sounding like r 'wee-uh- 

 vooh." This cry is uttered by the males 

 only, the female sometimes making a 

 harsh, croaking sound. 



It is interesting to watch the actions of 

 these ducks when in large flocks. Some- 

 times nearly the whole number will be 

 feeding on the bottom, in shallow water, 



AMERICAN WIDGEON, OR BALDPATE AA'AS AMERICANA. 



species, although the pure white under 

 parts of the baldpate, existing in both 

 sexes, make it easily distinguishable. It 

 rises with a loud flapping noise, but when 

 once fairly on wing is a swift flyer. 



The feet of both male and female are 

 dark plumbeous and the bill is a pale blue 

 with coal black base and tip. In old 

 males the blue becomes almost white, and 

 with the black portions forms a striking 

 contrast to the high cream colored fore- 

 head. 



The widgeon is retiring in its habits, in 

 the fall usually inhabiting in small flocks,, 

 secluded ponds and muddy creeks; but 

 towards spring, when the males attain their 



with their heads and half their bodies im- 

 mersed, and their sharp-pointed tails turned 

 up in a vertical position, making them 

 appear like a cluster of sharp-pointed 

 sticks. This position is often assumed and 

 discontinued with a suddenness and unison 

 that is startling. 



As a game bird the American widgeon 

 has many good qualities. It is a strong 

 flyer, comes well to decoys and can be 

 easily attracted by using either its own 

 call note or that of the mallard. As a 

 table bird it is far superior to its European 

 congener, although perhaps scarcely so 

 good as the mallard, the teal or the pin- 

 tail. 



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