RIVER DUCKS 
89 
Distribution. An eastern bird not generally found west of the Great Lakes. There 
are numerous Manitoba records, where it seems to be increasing during recent years, and 
one from Saskatchewan. 
SUBSPECIES. Two subspecies have been recognized. The Southern Black Duck 
(le Canard noir du Sud) Anas rubripes tristis and the Red-legged Black Duck (Le Canard 
noir a pattes rouges) Anas rubripes rubripes. The latter has been postulated as the more 
northern breeder coming south late in the autumn, but the validity of the former is not 
well established or its breeding range well marked out. 
Figure 130 
Gad wall; scale, 
Female Male 
Figure 131 
Wing of Gad wall; 
scale, L 
135. GadwalL GREY DUCK. SPECKLE-BELLY. LE CANARD CHIPEAU. ChaulelasmUS 
streperus. L, 19-50. A streaked grey duck, white below, without much decided detail. 
Male: finely vermiculated crosswise on flanks and back; head and neck finely and evenly 
speckled (Figure 130). Female: streaked in much the same pattern as female Mallard. 
All plumages with large white speculum edged forward with dead black and with lesser 
wing coverts chestnut-red (Figure 131). 
Distinctions. The large white speculum and chestnut-red upperwing-coverts are 
always distinctive. In females and juveniles the red is sometimes scattered and faint, 
but always present. 
Field Marks. Male: a medium-sized duck of greyish colour without obvious red or 
much detail except strong black and white area on folded wing. Female: like a small 
Mallard with a white speculum. In flight, the white speculum spot of the secondaries on 
the rear of the wing makes best recognition mark. More likely to be confused with Bald- 
pate than any other duck. 
Nesting. On ground in grass or under bushes. 
Distribution. Across the continent to north of Lake Athabaska. More common west, 
than east, of the Great Lakes. 
Figure 132 
European Widgeon (male); 
scale, \. 
136. European Widgeon, le canard siffleur d'europe. Mareca penelope. 
L, 19. Male: like the Baldpate or American Widgeon, but the head solid brick-red from 
cream cap to base of neck. Female; hardly distinguishable from female Baldpate. 
Distinctio?is. Red head of adult male distinctive. In other plumages probably only 
separated from Baldpate by having axillars thickly but finely speckled or marbled with 
grey (Figure 133) instead of being pure white, or very slightly marked or shaft streaked 
(See Figure 134). 
